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 and then…BOOM! A winter storm. Please make note that we have adjusted the calendar, and we will have a 12 PM dismissal day on May 2nd to ensure we meet and exceed the recommended instructional hours.

Throughout the next couple of months, 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 journey through Lent and prepare our hearts for Easter. I am blessed to lead this amazing school every day.

United In Christ,

Mrs. Perrault

In this issue of Martyr Messenger:

Admin Updates: Staffing Updates, Merit March, Report Cards, Schedule Change, Reconciliation, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Catechists Needed, Upcoming Fire Drill, New Reading Instructional Program Announcement
Home & School Updates: Musical Tickets on Sale, Artist of the Month, Musical Volunteers Needed, First Communion Celebration, Incoming Kindergarten Movie Night, Easter Egg Hunt, Martyr Marathon Volunteer Needed, Middle School Dance, Yearbook Photos
Men's Club Updates: Upcoming Triathlon
Parish Updates: Lenten Parish Mission, VBS Registration, Totus Tuus Registration, Children's Holy Hour
Community Updates: Play It Forward Spring Camp, Junior Skyhawks Tackle Football, Events for Middle Schoolers at Duchesne & Mercy

Administration Updates

Staffing Updates for the Upcoming School Year

Although we are always so sad to see some of our beloved teachers leave SSM, we always have to believe that God has a plan and we must have faith in that plan. The following teachers will be leaving after this school year: Ruth Ferrante (TK), Jen Freeman (5th), Cat Keller (1st) and Katie Tessari (Library). These are some words they wished to share with the SSM community.

Ruth Ferrante: With mixed emotions, I am announcing my decision to leave my current position as a full-time teacher in the Transitional Kindergarten program. God called me to this role 6 years ago when I was offered an opportunity to begin a wonderful program here at St. Stephens with a great teacher Mrs. Foster. During that time I was blessed to teach so many amazing children, meet so many wonderful families, build an amazing program, and work with some of the best teachers I have ever met. It will forever be a very special time of my life. My decision to leave is based on the current needs of my family, and it will be quite a big transition for us. My family and I will continue to be parishioners here, and I will continue to see you all just in a different role. Whether that be as a volunteer, a substitute teacher, or Natalie’s mom. I am looking forward to see what God has planned for me in this new journey in life, but I will greatly miss seeing everyone every day. Thank you so much for so many wonderful experiences, relationships, memories, and blessings.

Jen Freeman:

I am forever grateful for the 8 years I have been teaching 5th grade at St. Stephen. Throughout these years, I have built many positive relationships with students, families, and staff members. My decision to not return to SSM was guided by a lot of prayer. I was presented with a new and unexpected opportunity. Opportunity to teach 3rd grade at St. Wenceslaus, my alma mater. Although I am very sad to leave the wonderful SSM community, I am also very excited for this new chapter. Thank you so much to the wonderful families that I have had the privilege of getting to know throughout these years. Please stay in touch and don't be a stranger if you see me out and about.

Cat Keller: A special opportunity has been given to me that I feel I can't pass up. Come August, I will be the Office Manager at Lee Law Offices here in Omaha. The members of the Lee family are long-time friends of mine. I feel this will be the perfect transition from education to retirement. This is a big, unexpected leap for me, but I feel like God has been calling me in a new direction. I have been praying a lot for His guidance and direction.

Thank you for all of the support, friendships, and fun over the years. SSM is very dear to me-a second home-and has given me many good years. I will treasure forever all of the wonderful relationships and experiences I have had at St. Stephen the Martyr. I will remain an active parishioner and will always keep in contact with the families and students here.

Katie Tessari: After 13 years of teaching, seven of those wonderful years at SSM, I’m hanging up my librarian hat and putting on my mommy hat. Our baby girl, Gemma Lynn, arrived with the blizzard yesterday! I’m blessed enough to be able to stay home with her full time next year. I’ve loved teaching at SSM and I will definitely miss all the wonderful people I have had the privilege of meeting, working with, and teaching. I promised Mrs. Perrault and the students that I’d be back to sub later in the fall. Thank you all for loving me and letting me love you back!

Merit March Update

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:

P - Practice safety
R - Respect God, self, and others
A - Act with kindness
Y - Yes, say yes to responsibility

We are racing toward 700 merits. If we reach our goal, students will earn a Dress Down Day on Wednesday, April 2nd!

Report Cards

You will receive an email today from Mrs. Swanstrom with a link to your student's Report Card. If you have any questions or concerns, please email your student's teacher(s). Students will be sent home with Report Cards in their Friday Folders.

Schedule Change

Please note that due to the number of inclement weather days this school year, we have changed our schedule. May 2nd will now be an in-school day with a noon dismissal. It was previously scheduled as a no-school day. See the revised Annual Calendar here.

All-School Reconciliation

Our students have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation March 25th & 26th. Please pray for them as they receive the grace of God's forgiveness!

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Catechists Needed!

Formation Course available this summer for new catechists

Learn More

Upcoming Fire Drill

Notice: The whole school will have a scheduled fire drill at 9:15 AM on Monday, March 31st.

New Reading Instructional Program Announcement

Over the past four years, our teachers have been learning more and more about the Science of Reading which focuses on how individuals learn to read through evidenced-based instructional practices that emphasize the importance of foundational skills like phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

At SSM, we actually began implementing systematic phonics instruction phonics screeners, fluency building instruction, and fluency screeners four years ago. We have been researching different reading programs based on the Science of Reading. We realize that having high quality instructional materials is absolutely essential to the success of implementation. After researching and vetting different ELA programs, we decided to have our kindergarten pilot CKLA. CKLA is a comprehensive language arts program designed to build both foundational reading skills and content knowledge, grounded in the Science of Reading and the Core Knowledge approach. We are very excited to share that next school year (2025-2026), we will implement this program for grades 1-4 as well. Teachers will receive extensive professional development from CKLA trainers and also through the Catholic Schools Office. We love that our teachers understand the importance of learning and changing instruction.

SOR (Science of Reading) At-a-Glance:

Interdisciplinary Research: The science of reading draws from various fields to understand the reading process, including education, psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and more.
Evidence-Based Practices: It provides evidence-based practices for reading instruction, focusing on what works and why.
Foundational Skills: It emphasizes the importance of foundational skills like phonemic awareness (the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words), phonics (the relationship between letters and sounds), fluency (reading accurately and quickly), vocabulary, and comprehension.
Decoding and Comprehension: The science of reading recognizes that reading involves both decoding (sounding out words) and comprehension (understanding what is read).
Systematic Instruction: It advocates for explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction in reading, which means teaching skills in a structured and sequential manner.

Why it Matters:

Improved Reading Outcomes: By implementing evidence-based practices, educators can improve students' reading skills and outcomes.
Addressing Reading Difficulties: The science of reading helps identify and address the root causes of reading difficulties, leading to better interventions.
Understanding the Reading Process: It provides a deeper understanding of how the brain learns to read, which can inform instruction.

Key Components:

Phonemic Awareness: The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in words.
Phonics: Understanding the relationship between letters and sounds.
Fluency: Reading accurately, quickly, and with expression.
Vocabulary: Knowledge of words and their meanings.
Comprehension: Understanding what is read.

If you want to learn more about the Science of Reading and CKLA here are a few websites that might be useful:

Science of Reading in Curriculum

Article: SOR Explained

Home & School Updates

Tickets to Matilda the Musical on Sale Now!

We can't wait for you to see what our talented students have in store for our audience! Join us Friday, April 4th at 7:30 PM and Saturday, April 5th at 6 PM for Matilda Jr.! Ticket ordering information below:

Pre-order tickets online before March 28th. After this date, tickets must be purchased at the door.
Pre-ordered tickets will be available for pickup on April 2nd from 5:15 - 6:15 PM. You may also pickup tickets at the door the night of the performances.
Tickets may be purchased at the door before each performance. Cash/check only.

Pre-Order Tickets

Artist of the Month

Congratulations to our students who were selected as the Boden Reischl Artists of the Month! This month's art features hedgehogs, snowglobes, food trucks, and so much more! Click the button below to view their art.

Browse Art

Urgent Need: Parent Volunteer for Sound Equipment for Musical

Seeking 2-3 parents willing to be trained to oversee the Middle School Tech Crew in operating the sound equipment for our production of Matilda. This role would require a basic knowledge of sound boards and mic setups, availability to pickup and deliver equipment from rental company. This is a key roll that is ESSENTIAL for our production.

Commitment level:

March Rehearsals (Saturdays) where volunteer and students would work with equipment and go over audio cues
Tech Week Dress Rehearsals
All Three Performances

Last year's volunteers are willing to train the new volunteers.

If you or anyone you know is interested please contact Nicole Cooper (coopern1026@gmail.com) or Sofia Brown (sofianbrown@gmail.com) to volunteer or for more information.

Upcoming First Communion Celebration

Second graders and their families are invited to a First Communion Celebration. Second graders will be honored at 8:15 AM School Mass and be allowed to wear their First Communion outfits to school. Mass will be followed by a breakfast for families & younger siblings who aren't in school. Following breakfast, students may change into dress down day clothes for the rest of the day. We are so excited for our second graders to receive First Holy Communion! Congratulations!

Incoming Kindergarten Movie Night: Tomorrow Night!

Incoming kindergarteners are invited to join Home & School on Friday, March 21st from 6-8 PM in the gym for a movie night! Students can get to know each other and spend time in the "big school"! We will show the movie Migration and provide popcorn & water.

Thank you to our volunteers who have planned this event for our smallest students!

Join us for an Egg Hunt

Join us for an Easter Celebration on Sunday, April 27th following 10:30 AM Mass! We’ll start in the Dining Room with donuts, coffee cart, and face painting. Then we’ll head out to the field for an egg hunt and a visit from live bunnies for the kids to pet and hold! We are currently seeking volunteers to help us with the festivities! Use the button below to learn more & volunteer.

Learn More

Seeking Martyr Marathon Corporate Sponsorship Volunteer

Martyr Marathon is in need of a dedicated parent to take over the corporate sponsorship role. Interested? Please direct questions to ssmhomeandschool@gmail.com with the title “MM Corporate Sponsorship”.

Middle School Dance

Friday, April 25th

7:30 - 9 PM

St Stephen the Martyr Gym

$5 per student - cash at the door

St. Stephen the Martyr Middle School Students only.
Watch for the required waiver that will be sent home and will have to be turned in upon entry at the door.
Parent volunteers are needed to facilitate this event. Sign up using the button below.

Volunteer Here

Submit Your Photos to Yearbook!

Yearbook is seeking picture submissions throughout the school year that capture all the fun memories. 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!

Submit Photos

Men's Club Updates

Annual Triathlon

Learn More

Parish Updates

Dinner & Auction Ice Cream Order Pickup

If you ordered ice cream from the Dinner & Auction, your order will be ready for pickup in the School Kitchen on Monday, March 24th from 3:30- 4:30 PM. If you need to arrange an alternate pickup time, contact Catiana at 402-861-4541 or c.urrutia@stephen.org.

Join us at our Lenten Parish Mission

Learn More

Register Now for Vacation Bible School

Register

Totus Tuus Registration

Register Here

Children's Holy Hour

Community Updates

Play it Forward Spring Camp

Register Now

Jr. SkyHawks Tackle Football

Register now for the 2025 Jr. SkyHawks tackle football season! Join the 18 year long tradition of your local Catholic School tackle football team! Any 2025 5th-8th graders are welcome to join! Register now as space is filling up quickly. League dues are $300. We are currently seeking a coach for the 6th grade team. If you are interested or have any questions, email andrewbrooks@skuttcatholic.com.

Register Now

Upcoming Events for Middle Schoolers at Duchesne

Dinner and a Show - March 28^th, 2025: Join us for dinner and a performance of our spring musical “Seussical”.
7^th Grade Girls Night Out - April 11^th, 2025: Experience a fun evening of activities, games and making new friends at Duchesne.
Future Cardinal Fan Night – Soccer: Cheer on our Cardinals with our students and enjoy snacks and raffles!
5^th – 6^th grade Field Day - May 2^nd, 2025: Join us for an afternoon of friendly competition, games, and Cardinal Spirit!

Join us this June and July for our summer camps designed for students in grades K-8! Participate in fun and engaging activities created by Duchesne faculty and students. Choose from a variety of options, including athletics, arts, and enrichment camps. Join us for an exciting summer at Duchesne Academy!

Register for Spring Events: duchesneacademy.org/admissions

Register for Summer Camps: dashomaha.org/summer

Questions? Contact Maggie Vazquez, Admissions Event Coordinator at mvazquez@duchesneacademy.org

Mercy Events for Middle Schoolers

Learn More

Important Upcoming Dates

March 21st: Incoming Kindergarten Movie Night
- Stations of the Cross for K-4th grade
March 24th: Children's Holy Hour at 6 PM in the Worship Space
March 25th: Kindergarten Field Trip, "Bingo and Books"
- 5th Grade to Joslyn Art Museum
- Reconciliation Grades 2-4
March 26th: Reconciliation Grades 5-8
March 27th: Middle School History, Author, Science Fair
March 28th: Stations of the Cross for 5-8th grade
- Career Day Grades 7th & 8th
March 30th: First Communion
March 31st: 3rd Grade Field Trip to Duchesne Musical

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