A Message from Mrs. Perrault, Principal
With Spring Break next week, we are reminded of last year at this time when we first faced one of our most difficult challenges. I am so impressed with how far we have come as a school community. We united together and continue to weather the storm. Although we are not in the clear, we have come a long way, and we are so blessed to have shared this school year in the school building with our staff and students. We continue to pray for all those who have and will be affected by the pandemic. Please remember if your family is traveling internationally, you must follow the CDC guidelines that were updated on March 1. This information was also updated on the school website.
Thank you to all who have registered for the 2021-2022 school year. We are very excited to have your families and children continuing with us. I would like to share a few staffing changes for the next school year. We are very sad to have some of our staff retiring, but we realize we can’t keep them forever. The following teachers will retire after this year: Mrs. Kathy Jones (Mrs. Nicole Verrenault will be the full-time PE teacher), Mrs. Margie Crowe (Mrs. Carrie Gentille will return to SSM as a preschool teacher), and Mrs. Connie Bredemeyer (We are currently looking for qualified candidates). We wish these teachers the absolute best with their retirement. We are also sad that we will be saying goodbye to Mrs. Sunni Potach. She and her family are moving to New Hampshire. We wish her the best and hope that she stays in touch with our school community.
This edition of the Martyr Messenger also includes some insights from our Cognia review. As part of the accreditation status, Cognia provides the Index of Education Quality (IEQ) as a holistic measure of overall performance based on a comprehensive set of standards and review criteria. The average national score of Cognia accredited schools calculated over a 5 year period ranges from 278.34-283.33. We are pleased to report that St. Stephen the Martyr School earned an overall score of 342.50. To learn about these insights, please see more at this link: Cognia Insights 2020
We are very proud of our St. Stephen the Martyr School Community!
Thank you for all you do to support our mission,
Mrs. Perrault
Thank you to all who have registered for the 2021-2022 school year. We are very excited to have your families and children continuing with us. I would like to share a few staffing changes for the next school year. We are very sad to have some of our staff retiring, but we realize we can’t keep them forever. The following teachers will retire after this year: Mrs. Kathy Jones (Mrs. Nicole Verrenault will be the full-time PE teacher), Mrs. Margie Crowe (Mrs. Carrie Gentille will return to SSM as a preschool teacher), and Mrs. Connie Bredemeyer (We are currently looking for qualified candidates). We wish these teachers the absolute best with their retirement. We are also sad that we will be saying goodbye to Mrs. Sunni Potach. She and her family are moving to New Hampshire. We wish her the best and hope that she stays in touch with our school community.
This edition of the Martyr Messenger also includes some insights from our Cognia review. As part of the accreditation status, Cognia provides the Index of Education Quality (IEQ) as a holistic measure of overall performance based on a comprehensive set of standards and review criteria. The average national score of Cognia accredited schools calculated over a 5 year period ranges from 278.34-283.33. We are pleased to report that St. Stephen the Martyr School earned an overall score of 342.50. To learn about these insights, please see more at this link: Cognia Insights 2020
We are very proud of our St. Stephen the Martyr School Community!
Thank you for all you do to support our mission,
Mrs. Perrault
Enrollment at a Glance
Thank you again to all who have registered for the 2021-2022 school year. These are current registration numbers as of March 4, 2021. If we decide on two classrooms for certain grade levels (if there are 55 or fewer students enrolled), we will need to implement a waitlist policy. Also, please note that some grade levels are at capacity or close to capacity. (Transitional Kindergarten is at capacity and 3rd grade is almost at capacity.) If you have not yet registered, you will need to do so as soon as possible. We look forward to having all of our families return!
From Home and School
Planning for Next Year
We are in the planning stages for next school year and are filling committee head and committee positions. If you are interested in learning more or getting involved please email us at ssmhomeandschool@gmail.com.
Save the Date!
Join us for an in-person Home & School Meeting on Wednesday, March 24th at 6:30 PM in the Dining Room. Please RSVP.
Just One’ Campaign Winner
Mrs. Hoff and her kindergartners enjoyed a Pizza Party last Thursday, a prize won by kindergartener Reid O’Leary’s family for helping to refer new families during our Virtual Open House. We are grateful to all of our families that referred prospective students to our school. Thank you!
Our Teachers and Staff are Superheroes!
Thank you to the teacher hospitality committee for hosting a snack cart on Friday for our teachers and staff! Our teachers and staff are superheroes! Thank you to our first and second-grade families for the donations to show them how much we appreciate and value them with snacks on Friday!
Five Time Metro Champ
We know that we announced in an earlier email that Hannah Fernandes is this year’s Metro Spelling Bee Champion. But did you know this is her fifth time winning? Hannah won in 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade! Wow! This girl is an amazing speller!
Parents of Incoming 7th Graders
Do you have a student entering 7th grade this Fall? The Nebraska School Law requires all students entering 7th grade to have a physical examination by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner within six (6) months prior to the entrance of school. See the letter attached below for more information.
Liturgical Living
Nothing Is Impossible with God!
One of the first promises God made to humans was that Abraham would become the father of many nations. He wondered how this could be since he and his wife had no children and they were already as old as grandparents! But God said his wife Sarah would have a baby. Sarah thought this was so crazy, that she laughed! Laughed at God's plan! Nine months later, she had a beautiful baby boy. Whose turn was it to laugh then?! Have you ever wondered if God is calling you to something that sounds impossible? Being a priest? Being a doctor? Being kind always? Changing the world? Standing up for the truth? He may have plans for you that make you laugh. Trust him anyway because nothing is impossible for God!
Saint Patrick
March 17 is the greenest day of the year! And although most people associate it with the country of Ireland and Leprechauns, the Irish look back on the man who came across the channel years ago and first told them about Jesus. St. Patrick was a great teacher who taught the whole country to love and trust Jesus. On St. Patrick's Day, thank someone for sharing Jesus with you -- they're following in the footsteps of St. Patrick!
High School Tuition Assistance
The Archdiocese of Omaha provides high school tuition assistance to eligible families each academic year through the Archdiocese of Omaha High School Tuition Assistance Program. The program is funded by gifts to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, distributions from the Catholic Futures Foundation of Northeast Nebraska (CFF), formerly the Omaha Archdiocesan Educational & Parish Foundations (OAEF/OAPF) and gifts received by private donors.
The 2021-2022 academic year application process has begun, and families may complete a FACTS on-line application or the attached Applicant Financial Summary Form.
The deadline to submit verified Financial Summaries is April 30, 2021.
See the following linked documents to assist you during this process:
If you have any questions, please contact Tim Bogatz at 402.557.5650, ext. 1917 or email: tgbogatz@archomaha.org.
Save the Date for VBS: June 14-18
Station Leaders Needed! Join us on this faith-filled adventure to help kids discover that trusting Jesus pulls them through life’s ups and downs.
Station Leaders must be 19 years of age, be Safe Environment Trained by the Archdiocese of Omaha, and be available all five days of VBS. Volunteers may waive the tuition of ONE child participating in VBS. Each station will have a few middle/high school volunteers assigned to them.
For more information, contact Eileen at e.smith@stephen.org or the Religious Education Office at 402-896-5683.
Station Leaders must be 19 years of age, be Safe Environment Trained by the Archdiocese of Omaha, and be available all five days of VBS. Volunteers may waive the tuition of ONE child participating in VBS. Each station will have a few middle/high school volunteers assigned to them.
For more information, contact Eileen at e.smith@stephen.org or the Religious Education Office at 402-896-5683.
The Social Dilemma Discussion
Have you ever wondered why it seems like social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter seem to “know” what you like? Join us for a discussion with parishioner and former Google employee, Joe Toscano on Friday, March 5th from 7 to 8 PM. Adults of all ages and youth invited along with their parents. For those unable to attend in-person, we will be live-streaming the discussion on Facebook (yes how ironic!) and on our website at stephen.org/live-stream. Questions? Contact Adam Ybarra, a.ybarra@stephen.org
Flaming Hoops Basketball Camp 2021
Boys and Girls Camp, Grade 1-3. Morning Session (8:30-10:30), June 1-4. (4-day camp) This camp will focus on the fundamentals of offense and defense and will include contests. It will cover beginning and intermediate skills, including shooting, dribbling, passing, pivoting, and defense.
Boys and Girls Camp, Grade 4-8. Morning Session (10:45-12:45), June 1-4. (4-day camp) This camp will focus on individual skills and position work for the intermediate to advanced player. Fundamentals will be stressed along with defensive and offensive moves.
Register by May 21st. See Registration Form for more details.
March Family-Friendly Holy Hour
Join us for a family-friendly holy hour on Sunday, March 14th from 4-5 PM in the main worship space. It will not be silent, but Jesus will be there, and He said to let the little children come. There will be plenty of room in the church to spread out and stay socially distant from one another. There will also be some optional child-friendly church-appropriate activities in preparation for St. Patrick's and St. Joseph’s Feast Days the following week! We want this to be a time where parents can teach their kids to pray and kids can pray with their parents. Please come and bring your family!
Marian Junior Golf Program
Marian Junior Golf is a development program for 6th to 8th-grade girls who may be interested in playing high school golf - at any school, not just Marian. The program will meet on four Saturday afternoons starting April 3rd at Indian Creek Golf Course for fun instructional sessions covering full swing, chipping, and putting. Robert Davis (Marian Coach), Kyle Bullerman (Indian Creek Head Pro), and several Marian varsity golfers will assist with the instruction.
For more information and registration please go to https://www.marianhighschool.net/choosing-marian/camps/
Important Dates Coming Up
- March 8-12: No School (Spring Break)
- Friday, March 26: No School (Teacher In-Service)
- Thursday, April 1: No School (This is an earned day off for reaching our Martyr Marathon Fundraising Goal!)
- Friday, April 2 and Monday, April 5: No School (Easter Break)
