A Message from Mrs. Perrault, Principal
Dear Families,
I hope everyone was able to spend some time together with family during spring break. For those of you who did not travel, God did bless us with a few days of spring-like weather and beautiful sunshine. I am grateful to have all of our students back in the building to continue our Lenten journey together. Throughout the rest of this month, we have many faith opportunities including Stations of the Cross, school reconciliation, and Mass. We are so blessed to be able to practice and share our faith as we prepare for the summit of the Liturgical Year, the Easter Triduum.
It is hard to believe that the third quarter ends tomorrow! We have many exciting events coming up during the 4th quarter as we close out the school year.
- Our Home & School's 2024 Musical, Finding Nemo, Jr., is next Friday and Saturday evening. I am also so excited to watch the production! This is an amazing event every year and I encourage you to attend and see the amazing work our students and parent volunteers put into the musical!
- On April 6th, our parish will host the 2024 Dinner & Auction, our largest fundraiser of the year. This year's theme is Casino Royale! The event is always wonderful. Tomorrow is a GREEN Dress Down Day for students who donate any amount to the fundraiser! Thank you for supporting this important event.
- Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week will be April 15th-19th. We have the best teachers and staff and I'm so grateful to lead this amazing team of educators.
- In April, our 2nd graders will receive their First Holy Communion. Please keep them in your prayers as they make their final preparations for this special sacrament.
- May will bring Confirmation and graduation for our 8th graders, and our final days of the school year.
We have lots of learning left this school year and so much to look forward to! I am blessed to lead our amazing school every day.
United In Christ,
Mrs. Perrault
In this issue of Martyr Messenger:
- Admin Updates: Teachers Attend NETA Conference, Dinner & Auction Dress Down Day, End of Year Awards, Merit March Update, Spring Music Program, Celebrating Our Students, Library Volunteers Needed
- Home & School Updates: Pre-Order Musical Tickets, Yearbook Orders...Coming Soon, Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week, Easter Egg Hunt
- Sports Club: Micro Soccer Registration: Deadline is March 18
- Parish Updates: Dinner & Auction Support, Vacation Bible School Registration & Volunteer Needs, Totus Tuus Registration, Parish Mission & Parish-Wide Reconciliation Service, Holy Week at St. Stephen
- Community Updates: Flaming Hoops Basketball Camp
Administration Updates
Six St. Stephen Teachers attend the NETA Conference this Week
As part of their continued professional development (PD), Mrs. Gill, Mrs. Schweers, Mrs. O'Leary, Mrs. Lowry, Mrs. Pennings, and Mrs. Tessari are attending the Nebraska Educational Technology Association (NETA) conference on Thursday and Friday this week. The NETA conference showcases informative learning opportunities and education technology resources while also providing opportunities for teachers to network with one another to find effective tools for engaging with their students and enhancing their curriculum.
We are proud to offer these PD opportunities and can't wait for our teachers to share everything they learn with the rest of our staff at our next staff meeting!
Dinner & Auction Donation Dress Down Day
Let’s support our parish! Donate any amount and your student can dress in GREEN for St. Paddy’s Day on Friday, March 15th! Students should give their money to their homeroom teacher. Thank you for supporting St. Stephen's largest fundraiser!
End Of Year Nominations
Our School Advisory Board is now accepting nominations for this year's teacher, staff member, and volunteer of the year! Please use the button below to nominate the individuals you believe are most worthy of the honor! Nominations will be accepted now through May 8th. Awards will be announced at Mass on the last day of school.
Merit March Is Underway!
As part of our school's continued PBIS integration, we are celebrating Merit March again this year! Throughout the month of March, teachers and staff will celebrate and recognize student behaviors that are meeting and exceeding our school's expectation that students PRAY every day:
- Practice safety
- Respect God, self, and others
- Act with kindness
- Yes, say yes to responsibility
Now that we are back in school, we are racing toward 700 merits. If we reach our goal, students will earn a Dress Down Day on Tuesday, April 2nd! On Monday we had 100 merits...we'll be sure to include an updated count in Friday's announcements!
3rd-5th Grade Music Program
The 3rd-5th Grade Music Program will be on Thursday, April 25th at 2 PM and 6 PM! Families are invited to join us for either or both performances. Students will wear uniforms for the afternoon performance and dress up in the evening. Performers should report to their homerooms before the evening performance by 5:45 PM. All 3rd-5th graders will perform at both concerts – please contact Mrs. Tucksen at j.tucksen@stephen.org if your student will be absent from a performance. Thank you and we look forward to singing for you!
SSM Robotics Team Competes at State Robotics Competition!
The competition was held on March 1st and 2nd and we are so proud of our students who competed! Our 7th grade team came home with 2nd place and our 8th grade team secured fourth place!
The 7th grade team, 167S - Little Larry (finalist) includes members Dominic C., Anthony J. & Jackson T.
Our full Robotics team includes the following members: Gaby M., Anthony J., Connor K., Dominic C., Evelyn J., Jackson R., Jackson T., Liam H., Mason K., Silas B., Vinny L., Aaron B., Adam B., Jaxon S., Swithin J. & Michael P.
Congratulations to all of our students! Great work!
Sarah Advances to Scripps National Spelling Bee!
Congratulations to 6th grader, Sarah F. for winning First Place at the Regional Spelling Bee last Saturday! She will advance to Nationals. Congratulations, Sarah! We are proud of you!
Volunteer in the Library!
Are you looking for a fun way to volunteer? Mrs. Tessari is looking for volunteers to help in the library with check-out times in grades K-2 and a few volunteers to shelf books. The check-out time slots are 30 minutes and the shelving slots are 45 minutes. Kids love seeing their parents or grandparents volunteering in the school! **You must be Safe Environment trained to volunteer in the library**
Home & School Updates
Musical Tickets Pre-Order Ends Tomorrow!
Join us to see our students take the St. Stephen the Martyr stage as they present Finding Nemo, Jr.! Performances will be held in the gym on Friday, March 22nd at 7:30 PM and Saturday, March 23rd at 7 PM. The gym doors will open 30 minutes before show time and seating is available on a first-come basis. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door.
Please use the button below to purchase tickets in advance. If you choose to buy tickets at the door, you may pay by cash or check. Pre-sales end on Friday, March 15th. Door sales on performance nights begin one hour before the show.
Coming soon…Yearbook Sales!
This year, yearbook sales did not take place in the Fall. The Yearbook Club has been hard at work and will have an ordering window this Spring! Be on the lookout for when and how to order. In the meantime, keep submitting your photos using the button below!
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week: April 15th-19th
We need your help to show our teachers and staff how much we appreciate and love them! Please sign up to donate items or to volunteer during Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week. Thank you for helping us celebrate all the amazing people who love and care for our children all year long!
Celebrate Easter with Us on April 7th!
Please join the St. Stephen the Martyr Parish family on Sunday, April 7th after the 10:30 AM Mass for an Easter celebration!
We'll start in the Parish Center with donuts, Sleepless from Seattle coffee cart, and face painting. Then we'll head out to the field to continue the Easter fun with an egg hunt and a visit from live bunnies for the kids to pet and hold!
Please RSVP using the button below!
We need donations and volunteers to make sure the event is a success. Sign up using the button below!
Sports Club Updates
Micro Soccer Registration Deadline is Noon on Monday, March 18th
Parish Updates
Join us at our Parish Mission & Parish-Wide Reconciliation Service: March 17th-19th
Join us for inspirational talks on the Holy Eucharist & our life with Christ at our annual Parish Mission. Our guest speaker this year will be Fr. Ralph O’Donnell who will speak on March 17th and 18th. Our Parish Mission will conclude on Tuesday, March 19th with a final reflection from Fr. Ralph at 6:40 PM followed by a Parish-Wide Reconciliation Service from 7-8:30 PM. There will be a freewill offering to benefit Catholic Charities of Omaha. Light hospitality will be provided.
Vacation Bible School: Station Leader Registration Now Open
We are so excited to dive into friendship with God this summer at our SCUBA Vacation Bible School. Registration is now open! We are also recruiting for both youth volunteers and adult station leaders. Register and sign up to volunteer using the button below.
Totus Tuus: Registration Now Open
Totus Tuus is a Catholic Summer Camp run by a collaborative effort between leaders of St. Stephen the Martyr and St. Wenceslaus and young adult missionaries hired by the Archdiocese of Omaha. Register for this awesome summer camp using the button below!
Holy Week at St. Stephen the Martyr
Community Updates
Flaming Hoops Basketball Camp
Important Upcoming Dates
- March 15:
- Dinner & Auction Donation Dress Down Day
- Stations of the Cross, Grades K-4, 2:30 PM, Worship Space
- End of 3rd Quarter
- March 19: Reconciliation, Grades 2-5
- March 20: Reconciliation, Grades 6-8
- March 21: School Performance of Musical
- March 22:
- Report Cards Sent Home
- Stations of the Cross, Grades 5-8, 2:30 PM, Worship Space
- School Musical, 7:30 PM, Gym
- March 23: School Musical, 7 PM, Gym
- March 27: History, Author, Science Fair
- March 28-April 1: No School - Easter Break
- April 2: Classes Resume
- April 5: 8th Grade Confirmation Retreat
- April 6: Dinner & Auction
- April 7: Easter Celebration & Egg Hunt
- April 15-19: Teacher Appreciation Week
- April 17: 2 PM Dismissal (Staff Meeting)