A Message from Mrs. Perrault, Principal
Dear Families,
It is so exciting to prepare for Advent and Christmas. Students and staff love seeing the Christmas tree in the commons. It will once again be adorned with classroom ornaments. Today, our students attended an Advent Prayer Service. It was a great way for our students to begin the Advent season and a wonderful reminder for all of us to refocus our hearts on what this season is really all about.
Next Monday and Tuesday evening, our second graders will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the very first time. Please keep them in your prayers and join me in thanking our priests, second-grade teachers, and Religious Education staff for their time in helping our children prepare for the special day.
Wishing you all a blessed Advent,
Mrs. Perrault
In this issue of Martyr Messenger:
- Admin Updates: New Facility Enhancements, Food Drive Thank You, Hat & Mitten Drive, First Reconciliation, First Friday Adoration, November Saint of the Month Honorees, 2 PM Dismissal Reminder, New Lego League, 3rd-5th Grade Music Program, Winter Book Fair, Italian Feast, Talent Show Sign-ups
- Home & School Updates: Christmas Gift Program, Yearbook Photos, Santa Shoppe, Upcoming Dress Down Day, Breakfast in Bethlehem, Musical Registration
- Parish Updates: Trivia Night, Marriage Workshop, Christmas Mass Times
- Community Updates: Mt. Michael Coaches Clinic, Play it Forward Winter Sports Camp, Archbishop Scholars Application, Catholic High School Entrance Exam Dates
Administration Updates
New Facility Enhancements
We've been sprucing things up around our school facility this Fall! Thanks to our parish and a few generous donors, we were able to beautify the entrance of our school with new landscaping and stone benches. Our Sports Club generously upgraded the lighting in our Gym. We are also excited to share the addition of a new Mini Outdoor Learning Space to allow our teachers space for small group instruction while enjoying the outdoors!
Thanksgiving Food Drive: Thank you!
Thank you, St. Stephen the Martyr school families, for your generous support of the St. Stephen Food Pantry during the Thanksgiving Food Drive. Your generosity will provide nutritious and delicious holiday meals to our needy neighbors, assist them, and remind them of God’s love for them.
“Blessed is the one who considers the poor.”
- Psalm 46:1
May God bless you abundantly!
With a grateful heart,
- Colleen Eusterwiemann,
Pastoral Care Coordinator
7th Grade Mitten and Hat Drive
7th grade is collecting new and used hats & mittens for Project Harmony! Send donations to any 7th grade classroom or with a 7th grader. Thank you for your generosity!
Please Pray for our Second Graders!
Our second graders will receive their First Reconciliation on December 9th (2A & 2C) & 10th (2B). May they and their families discover the wonder of God's forgiveness through this beautiful Sacrament!
First Friday Adoration tomorrow
Did you know our students attend Adoration monthly? Our parish hosts First Friday Adoration on the First Friday of every month from 9 AM - 2:30 PM. Teachers are given the opportunity to stop by the Worship Space to adore Jesus with their class throughout the day. Families are welcome to sign up for an hour or half hour throughout the day. If you are unable to commit to a timeslot, please feel free to stop in at any point throughout the day! The whole school attends Benediction at 2:30 PM.
November Saint of the Month Honorees Announced!
Our November Saint of the Month honorees were announced. These students were selected by their teachers for showing love to others. St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians and her virtues include faith, hope and charity. St. Cecilia always acted out of love. Congratulations to our November honorees!
Early Childhood Honorees
(L to R) Cece Casey, Sarah Prokopec, Addison Wisnieski, Alex Romero
K-8 Honorees
(L to R) Top Row: Conor Kelly, Rachel Savicky, Olivia Herstein, Charlotte O'Keefe, McKenna Adam, Nora Pospisal, Milo Schulte, Riley Reischl
Middle Row: Caitlyn Van Dorn, Nicholas Fricke, Natalie Ferrante, Genevieve Cooley, Lakelyn Nieman, Francisco Machuca, Sawyer Baack, Piper Verraneault
Bottom Row: Orion Reisberg, Stella Pieper, Natalie Sanderson, Charlotte Souba, Emmy Grady, Tess Lindhorst, Aubrey Loftis, Evan Erdman
Not Pictured: Kennadi Makovicka
2 PM Dismissal on Wednesday, Dec. 11th
There will be an early dismissal on Dec. 11th so the teachers can attend Professional Development.
New! Lego League Starting at SSM!
We have been unable to find an adult(s) who can coach a Robotics team this year, but we have been looking into information and interest in forming a Lego League! We would love to have an Explore Team (ages 6-10) with 2-6 students and a Challenge Team (ages 9-14) with 2-10 participants. Please let Mrs. Perrault or Mr. Verraneault know if you are interested. Learn more about Lego League locally.
3rd-5th Grade Music Program
This year’s 3rd-5th Grade Music Program will be on Thursday, Dec. 12th at 2 PM and 6 PM! Families are invited to join us for one or both performances. All 3rd-5th graders are expected to perform at both concerts – please contact Mrs. Tucksen at j.tucksen@stephen.org if your student will be absent from a performance. Students will wear uniforms for the afternoon performance and dress up in the evening.
Guidelines for 6 PM concert:
- Performers should report to their homerooms before the evening performance by 5:45 PM
- Ladies: skirts, dresses, or slacks, nice tops with covered shoulders
- Gentlemen: khakis, slacks, or uniform pants, and a polo, sweater, or dress shirt
- Uniforms are fine as well, but no jeans, printed T-shirts, sportswear, or flip-flops
- Students should leave any jackets or bags with a parent for the performance as they will not be returning to their classrooms afterward
Thank you and we look forward to singing for you!
Winter Book Fair
December 9th-12th in the Library
★ Every dollar you spend will benefit our school directly
★ Our Fair is CASHLESS: Credit/Debit cards, ApplePay, GooglePay and eWallet only
★ You can sign up for Book Fair eWallet, a convenient digital payment account, so your child can shop the Fair cash-free. Use the button below to set up eWallet.
★ Middle schoolers may attend on their own and bring any younger siblings. All students who do not have middle school siblings must attend with a parent/guardian.
★ You can order online and have books shipped to your home! Online orders are open Dec. 6th-19th.
★ We need volunteers to help make our Winter Book Fair a success! Please use the button below to volunteer to help with setup/teardown and checking out students. Thank you!
Upcoming Italian Feast
Please save the date for an Italian Feast Fundraiser January 11, 2025 hosted by The Omaha Travel Club, Inc. All proceeds go to Omaha Travel, Inc. in support of an annual 8th grade Washington D.C. trip.
Second Annual Catholic Schools Week Talent Show
Register by Dec. 13th to participate! Find all the details below.
The Talent Show takes place during Catholic Schools Week, scheduled for Jan 27-31st. Please contact Mrs. Tucksen at j.tucksen@stephen.org with any questions.
- Open to all 5th - 8th graders
- Up to 6 students per act
- Auditions on 1/8 and 1/9 after school on the music stage
- All acts should be 2 min 30 sec or less
- Selected acts will attend a final rehearsal on 1/22/25 after school
- Great ideas include singing, playing instruments, dancing, skits, magic acts, acrobatics, and unusual stunts /tricks
- All acts should be appropriate in every way, including language and costumes if applicable
- No lip - syncing or improvisation
Home & School Updates
Christmas Gift Program for Teachers & Staff
We will again offer all SSM school families the opportunity to participate in the annual Teacher/Staff Christmas Gift Program. Consider each of the wonderful teachers and school staff members who interact with your child throughout the year. Then consider the time and number of gifts it would take to individually thank all of those teachers and staff members. Participation in the Christmas Gift Program saves you time and money during the hectic holiday season! Donations are used to give a gift to each of St. Stephen the Martyr teachers and staff members who share in the daily education and care of your child.
This program is optional, of course. However, we ask you to please give serious consideration to participating. The Christmas Gift Program has been a huge success in the past and we look forward to continuing the tradition this year and showing our teachers and staff members how much they’re appreciated by our school families!
Give Online using the button below. Donations will be collected through Wednesday, December 11th.
Yearbook Club Needs Your Photos!
The Yearbook Club is off and running creating another great book of memories for all grades, but we need your help! We are asking for picture submissions throughout the school year that capture all the fun memories of classroom parties, events, sacraments, milestones and other fun activities for all our students. Use the button below and make sure to select the grade or activity appropriate album when submitting. Thank you for your help in collecting the '24-'25 school year memories!
Ho! Ho! Ho! We need helpers in our Santa Shoppe!
Get ready, Christmas Elves! Santa Shoppe is scheduled for Monday, December 16th & Tuesday, December 17th! Santa Shoppe is open to TK-8 grade students. Our preschool & pre-k students will visit the Shoppe to see Santa but will not be shopping.
Monday Shoppers:
- All Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades
- Roche (5A) & Freeman (5B)
- All 6th & 7th grades
Tuesday Shoppers:
- All TK
- Coffey (5C)
- All 8th grade
*Please note: this schedule is subject to change.
Volunteers & Donations Needed
We need YOUR help to make Santa Shoppe festive! Please save the date and consider volunteering to help set up, wrap gifts, help our younger students shop, facilitate activities for non-shoppers, or tear down the event! Note that if you'd like to volunteer during your student's class, the sign-up will include shopping times.
Christmas Colors Dress Down Day: Dec. 16th
Let's get festive, just in time for Santa Shoppe! Students may dress down in Christmas colors on Monday, Dec.16th. This Dress Down Day is for all students, regardless of their shopping day.
Breakfast in Bethlehem: Sunday, Dec. 8th
Come celebrate the beginning of Advent and the Feast of St. Nicholas with a morning filled with the Knights of Columbus’ famous pancake breakfast and Home & School hosted St. Nicholas festivities including Sleepless from Seattle specialty coffee cart, hot cocoa, fun activities for the kids, and a visit from St. Nicholas himself! Please RSVP below so we can be prepared.
Registration Now Open for 2025 Musical: Matilda Jr.!
Middle School Auditions are Monday, Dec. 9th & Thursday, Dec. 12th
Participation in the Musical is a wonderful opportunity for our students! From acting to set design, backstage management and lighting, our students shine, learn and grow!
- Participation is open to 1st-8th graders.
- Auditions are for grades 6-8th grades only. All middle school students must register before auditioning. All 1st-5th grade students who would like to be in the musical will be given a role.
- Auditions are on the stage from 3:30-5:30 PM on Monday, Dec. 9th and Thursday, Dec. 12th.
- We ask that parents volunteer to help supervise a minimum of two rehearsals. A SignUp Genius will be sent in January.
- There will be a parent meeting in January.
- Rehearsals start the week of Monday, Jan 6th.
- Tech week is MANDATORY for all students (March 30th – April 2nd).
- School performance: Thursday, April 3rd, 2025.
- General Audience performances are the evenings of Friday, April 4th and Saturday, April 5th, 2025 (presence is mandatory for all).
- Questions? Contact Jenny and Nicole at ssm.musical1@gmail.com
Parish Updates
Join us for Trivia Night!
New! Strengths-Based Marriage Workshop
Christmas Mass Times
Community Updates
Baseball Coaches Clinic at Mount Michael
Play it Forward Winter Sports Camp
Archbishop Scholars Application is Open
With the success of the Archbishop’s Dinner for Education, we are pleased to announce applications are open for the Archbishop Scholars. The Archbishops Scholars provides a four-year, renewable scholarship to attend an Archdiocese of Omaha Catholic high school. This scholarship is available to current 8th graders who are Children Scholarship Fund recipients. You are invited to complete this short, three-minute survey to help us learn more about you and provide you with next steps on your educational journey.
Catholic High School Placement Exam Dates
Test will be the HSPT and NOT the Pre-ACT. The 8th grade teachers have resources to help you succeed!
Important Upcoming Dates
- Dec. 8th: Breakfast in Bethlehem
- Dec. 9th &10th: First Reconciliation, 7:10 PM in the Worship Space
- Dec. 9-13th: Winter Book Fair
- Dec. 11th: 2 PM Dismissal for Staff Professional Development
- Dec. 12: Christmas Program, Grades 3-5
- Dec. 13th: 5th Grade Field Trip to the Rose Theater
- Dec. 16th: Christmas Colors Dress Down Day
- Dec. 16 & 17: Santa Shoppe
- Dec. 20th: 11 AM Dismissal: Christmas Break Begins