A Message from Mrs. Perrault, Principal
I would like to wish you all a happy new year and welcome everyone back. It’s a pleasure to see all of the children, teachers, and staff back at school after a long, well-deserved break. I am also so excited to welcome a few new families and a couple of new staff members (7th and 8th math: Karen Kneifl; and Teacher Associates: Luiza Havlat, Becci Neesen, Rebecca Berry, Sara Venner) to the SSM community.
January will be a busy month! Report cards will go home on Friday. Please remember to reach out to teachers if you have specific questions about grades, assessments, and/or curriculum. You will also receive a STAR assessment report from winter testing. Please see the link regarding STAR assessments and parent information: http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R00548737C7F0D81.pdf
Just a reminder that as the snow flies and the temperatures dip this winter, children need to be dressed appropriately so they can play at recess time. Coats, hats, mittens or gloves, and boots are a must this time of year! Also, remember that “snow days” will be snow days and not remote learning days. St. Stephen the Martyr School will be closed if Millard Public Schools and/or Omaha Catholic Schools announce a closing for inclement weather (if they announce the school closing as a remote learning day, we will not be providing remote learning; it will be a day off from school).
Please keep our second and eighth-grade students in your prayers as they continue to prepare for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. If you have questions about sacraments, please contact Ally ZimmerMas at a.zimmermas@stephen.org
Wishing you all blessings of health and happiness for 2021!
Mrs. Perrault
January will be a busy month! Report cards will go home on Friday. Please remember to reach out to teachers if you have specific questions about grades, assessments, and/or curriculum. You will also receive a STAR assessment report from winter testing. Please see the link regarding STAR assessments and parent information: http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R00548737C7F0D81.pdf
Just a reminder that as the snow flies and the temperatures dip this winter, children need to be dressed appropriately so they can play at recess time. Coats, hats, mittens or gloves, and boots are a must this time of year! Also, remember that “snow days” will be snow days and not remote learning days. St. Stephen the Martyr School will be closed if Millard Public Schools and/or Omaha Catholic Schools announce a closing for inclement weather (if they announce the school closing as a remote learning day, we will not be providing remote learning; it will be a day off from school).
Please keep our second and eighth-grade students in your prayers as they continue to prepare for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. If you have questions about sacraments, please contact Ally ZimmerMas at a.zimmermas@stephen.org
Wishing you all blessings of health and happiness for 2021!
Mrs. Perrault
In this issue of Martyr Messenger you will find information about:
- High School Placement Exams
- From Home and School
- Liturgical Living
- ...and more!
High School Placement Exams
Please pray for our 8th graders who will be taking the Catholic high school placement exam on Saturday, January 9. If you have any questions or need to register your 8th grader, contact the high school or register on each high school’s website.
From Home and School
Thank You!
As we begin the second semester, we have so much to be thankful for! Thank you for the donations and cards for the Cozy Cohort Christmas; we raised over $700 for the Angel Tree Project. Thank you to those who donated to the Teacher/Staff Christmas Gift Program as well. And, thank you to all our volunteers who have helped with all our initiatives to support our school so far this year!
Open House
Our big focus right now is planning for our annual Open House coming up in a few weeks. Watch for more information coming soon!
Liturgical Living
Pick a Patron Saint for the New Year
- It's a time for new beginnings! Need a theme for 2021 besides "Finally"? Try this fun word of the year generator! wordoftheyear.me
- Need some heavenly help this year? We'll answer that for you: yes you do! Try this saint of the year generator. You will most definitely make a new friend! saintsnamegenerator.com
Welcome to the Year of St. Joseph
Pope Francis has declared 2021 the Year of St. Joseph, patron of the Catholic Church, workers, and fathers. Once in a while, the Pope feels a need to reflect and pray more deeply on an aspect of Church teaching and so he designates a year for the Church to focus on a specific topic. This year, the Pope hopes that we can learn from St. Joseph, who made unseen sacrifices for the good of others consistently, much like we must do in the midst of the pandemic. The Pope also noted that the world is in great need of good fathers. In honor of the Year of St. Joseph, commit to pray for your dad, husband, or priest more regularly - they need it! You can try this daily prayer (Prayers – Year of St. Joseph) or this Novena (The Powerful 30 Day Prayer to St. Joseph). St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us!
A Parish-Wide Giving Opportunity!
Essential Pregnancy Services (EPS), serving expectant women and parenting families, will kick off the Baby Bottle Fundraiser at St. Stephen the Martyr next week. School students will receive bottles to take home on Friday, January 15th. Thank you for helping women and families make life-affirming choices for themselves and their children!
Did you know?
Have you ever wondered who to contact in the school office?
For general questions, tardy/absence related items, or messages for students or teachers; please email school@stephen.org This email address goes to all of the front office staff(Courtenay, Nancy, and Mary). Always feel free to call the school office at 402-896-0754.
Questions on enrollment, Sycamore, textbook loan, and health forms can be sent to Courtenay Swanstrom at c.swanstrom@stephen.org Courtenay works Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 7:30 am to 3:45 pm.
Questions on billing statements and purchase orders can be sent to Nancy Major at n.major@stephen.org Nancy works Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7:30 am to 3:45 pm, Thursday from 12:00-4:00 pm.
Questions regarding medication dispensing at school or release of records can be sent to Mary Masek at m.masek@stephen.org Mary works Monday-Friday from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm.
Important Dates Coming Up
- Friday, January 8: Report Cards Sent Home
- Monday, January 18: No School (Teacher In-Service)
- February 1-5: Catholic Schools Week & Virtual Open House
