In this issue (click to jump to a section):
Ten faculty and staff members received milestone years of service awards for the years they have worked in Catholic schools: (left to right) Genny Gohn, 10 years; Jennifer Guidry, 20 years; Ashley Schade, 10 years; Lauren Curry, 10 years; Ashley Llaneza, 10 years; Brittney Chustz, 10 years; Erin Ferguson, 15 years; Brian Quantrille, 25 years; Katie Macaluso, 15 years; and Sheri Schiro, 15 years. Thank you for your dedication to Catholic education!
The Mother Seton Award is presented annually by each school in the Diocese of Baton Rouge to honor one individual within the home and school community who emulates the qualities and service of Mother Elizabeth Anne Seton, for whom the award is named. Mother Seton was the founder of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and a pioneer in Catholic education. She established the first Catholic elementary school in the United States in Baltimore in 1808 as well as an orphanage in Philadelphia in 1814. Through her life as a wife, mother, widow and member of a religious order, Mother Seton became an exemplary role model and an inspiration to others who follow in her footsteps. She was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI.
Click here to submit your nomination for the STM Mother Seton Award. Nomination deadline is Thursday, February 9.
The person nominated may be a man or woman and must:
Qualifications of the individual must include:
STM is participating in the Diocese of Baton Rouge District Accreditation Process. Cognia District Accreditation provides nationally recognized accreditation for the district and all its schools. To renew Cognia District Accreditation, the district must: 1) meet the Cognia accreditation standards; 2) implement a continuous process of improvement; and 3) host an external review team once every five years.
District accreditation is a rigorous process that demonstrates to our students, parents, and community that we are focused on raising student achievement, providing safe and enriching learning environments, and maintaining efficient and effective operations staffed by highly qualified educators. As a Catholic school, we utilize the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools protocol. As a system of Catholic Schools, we employ the Cognia Performance Standards for K-12 and Postsecondary Institutions protocol.
Your input is important to STM and to the district during the self-study process. Please click here and take the time to complete the brief online survey between now and February 10. All responses are confidential, and only the group statistics will be reviewed and included in the data reports. Thank you for your help with this important endeavor.
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The Dad and Daughter Dance (Grandfather, Uncle, Godfather ... ) will be Saturday, March 4 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the STM Gym. Only STM students in grades K through 8 may attend. Appropriate attire is Sunday dress (no jeans or strapless dresses). A limited number of tickets are available! $80 per couple and $30 for each additional daughter. Click here to purchase tickets.
Help us spread the word! Applications are OPEN for new students for the 2023-2024 school year. Let your friends and family know we are accepting applications for new students going into PK3 through 8th grade at stmbr.org/apply. Applications are for new students only. Current families who have not yet reenrolled may click here for instructions.
Yearbooks are memories from cover to cover! It's time to purchase your child's St. Thomas More 2022-2023 Utopia Yearbook. Options include recognition ads, personalization and accessories. Click here to order!
We have been seeing a lot of tardy arrivals lately. Students should on campus no later than 7:35 a.m. to avoid being tardy. Morning assembly begins promptly at 7:40 a.m. every day. Parents should plan enough time to arrive on campus, follow the carpool lines, and let students out of the vehicle and then walk into the building. It takes little feet longer to walk and time should be allotted for that. We appreciate your understanding.
We also have been seeing cars cutting in carpool lines. Click here for carpool directions and maps. As a reminder, in PK carpool, the line begins on Fairhaven, right on Sylvan and left into the PK lot. There should be no right turns into PK.
Please click here to view the February lunch menu.
Red and Pink Accessory Day - Tuesday, February 14: Students are invited to wear red and pink t-shirts in place of the uniform shirt or over the jumper, colored socks, ties, turtlenecks, bows, jewelry, beads, hats (not worn inside), scarves and sweatshirts.
Purple, Green and Gold Accessory Day - Friday, February 17: Students are invited to wear purple, green and gold t-shirts in place of the uniform shirt or over the jumper, colored socks, ties, turtlenecks, bows, jewelry, beads, hats (not worn inside), scarves and sweatshirts.
There is no school February 20 through 24.
The STM Gym is getting a new roof! Construction began this week. Stay tuned for updates!
TRACKING ILLNESSES: Nurse Rochelle keeps track of the number of cases of flu, strep, Covid, and other contagious illnesses. Please call 225-272-3072 or email rochelle@stmbr.org if your child is diagnosed with a contagious illness.
TO REPORT AN ABSENT STUDENT: Please call the school office (225-275-2820) to give the reason for absence, name of student, and homeroom. Parents can also email the nurse or child’s teachers, but the office needs to be notified. Doctor’s excuses are also sent to the office. Homework can be requested on the second day absent in grades 2-8 by calling the office BEFORE 7:30 a.m. Messages can be left on the office voicemail to report absence and/or request homework.
For the STM Athletics full calendar of events, go to stmbr.org/school/athletics.
BOYS BASKETBALL
TENNIS
The STM middle school tennis program was awarded a $275 grant for the 2023 year by the Greater Baton Rouge Community Tennis Association. The funds will be put towards the tennis program and its athletes. The STM tennis program is in its second year and coached by Mr. Kevin Smith and Mr. Drew Murrell. They compete in the fall against other local middle school tennis teams. Practices are held at the Tara Tennis Club from August to October.
TRACK AND FIELD
Divine Mercy Novena: Join us in praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet on Tuesdays, February 7, 14, 21 and 28; March 7, 21 and 28; and April 4 and 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the church. On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 16, the chaplet will be prayed at 4:30 p.m. in the church.
The 2023 STM Festival Kick-Off is this weekend! Pre-order your Noodle Bowl Dinners now because they usually sell out! Available for pickup on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. $12 per dinner. A favorite serving from the STM Festival Asian Booth. Bun Thit Nuong Gha Gio (Rice Noodles with Grilled Pork & Egg Roll) To pre-order, go to: https://www.stmfestival.com/online-store
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