In this issue (click to jump to a section):
It's time to nominate STM for BR Parents Magazine 2023 Family Favorites! We won in 2022, and we want to keep our titles this year! These awards are voted on by the public and given to Baton Rouge schools and businesses that provide exceptional services — and we need your help! Please click here to nominate STM for the 2023 Family Favorites awards in the following categories:
Private Elementary School
Private Middle School
Private Elementary School Principal - Ashley McDaniel
Private Middle School Principal - Ashley McDaniel
Afterschool Program
Preschool
We believe that our commitment to providing academic excellence sets STM apart, and we would be honored to receive these recognitions again. You can nominate STM once a day in each category! Nominations end May 15, 2023. Thank you for your support!
May is the month of Mary. She was the God-Bearer and deserves special honor for her role in our salvation. Come, bring flowers for our Blessed Mother, and join us for our annual May Crowning at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, May 4.
To mark this special occasion, we ask all of our students bring flowers to adorn our Marian statue. Students may bring a single flower or a small bunch of flowers to place at Mary’s feet. The flowers will be collected when they arrive at school.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Volunteers are needed to collect, sort, and assemble flowers into arrangements for our May Crowning Mass on Thursday, May 4. Volunteers should arrive at 7 a.m. to collect flowers from the students as they arrive and have the flowers arranged in baskets ready for the children to process in for May crowning by 8:30 a.m. Please remember that all volunteers must have current Child Protection credentials. Please click here to volunteer.
Preorder Festival ride bracelets through April 30 at stmfestival.com/online-store/Ride-Bracelets-c128833254 or buy in the gym on May 4 and 5 from 7 to 8 a.m. Friday night and weekend companion bracelets will be available during the Festival.
Students may wear their 2023 STM Festival shirts with uniform bottoms on Friday, May 5.
GIFT CARDS NEEDED FOR FACULTY AND STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK: The STM Home & School Association is accepting gift card donations for raffle prizes for Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week, which is May 1-5. Please bring gift cards to the school office.
Through the Coca-Cola Give and Community Coffee Cash for Schools programs, STM uses the funds we earn to give $100 to every STM teacher at the beginning of the school year to use in their classrooms! Please save your Coke product codes (found under product caps and on fridge packs) and Community Coffee proofs of purchase, and turn them in to the school office! Note: Coca-Cola Give is under construction and being reimagined. Please turn in your product codes, found under product caps and on fridge packs, on or before June 30, 2023.
Dad and Daughter Dance - This year's dance was a huge success! Amazing memories were made by all. We appreciate everyone's participation. The event was able to donate $9,148.12 to St. Thomas More!
Homeroom pictures will be taken on Tuesday, May 2. Girls wear uniform skirt and banded shirt or jumper, and boys wear shorts or long pants and shirt.
Registration for STM 2023 Summer Camp closes on May 19. Camp is open to STM students only, who are entering grades PK4 through 6 for the 2023-24 school year. For details and to register, go to stmbr.org/summer23.
The state of Louisiana will require Hepatitis A vaccinations for K-8 grades beginning in the fall of 2023-24. A complete Hepatitis A series is two vaccines given 6 months apart. If your child has not received any Hepatitis A vaccines, please make an appointment to begin this series. If your child has received one Hepatitis A vaccine, please follow up at 6 months to complete the series. The vaccine will be abbreviated Hep A on your child’s immunization record. Please do not confuse Hep A with Hepatitis B (Hep B) 3 shot series given in infancy, this is a different vaccine. If the first Hep A vaccine has been given and it is not yet time for the second vaccine, students will be allowed to attend school until the second vaccine is administered on schedule.
Please make note of these dates for the 2023-2024 school year:
For Extended Care fees and details, and to register, please go to stmbr.org/extendedcare23. Morning hours are 6:45 to 7:20 a.m.; afternoon hours are 3:15 to 5:30 p.m.
Students who are not picked up in afternoon carpool by 3:15 p.m. will be sent to Extended Care as a drop-in. If a student is not previously registered for Extended Care and is sent by the office (due to the office closing), the parent must register the child at that time and pay a fee. If your child is going home with another child in Extended Care, your child also must be registered. Please contact Extended Care Director Mrs. Gretchen Thibodeaux with any questions.
Certain STM events are designated for STM students only. Preschool Fun in the Sun Day and Field Day (K through 7th grade) on May 24 are two of these events. Due to safety and liability coverage, we cannot allow any other children or siblings, younger or older, to attend these events. Only students enrolled at STM may be present. There will be communication in Eagle News and from your child's teacher to specify which events are for STM students only. Thank you for your help and understanding in this matter.
Please click here to view the May lunch menu.
As the end of the school year approaches, please be sure to load your child's school lunch account with enough funds to cover lunches through the end of the year. After May, there will be no opportunity to reconcile delinquencies in your child's lunch account. For May, the cost of breakfast will be $45, and lunch will be $59.40. These prices do not include extra sale items. You must deposit additional money if you wish for your child to purchase extra sale items. Visit myschoolbucks.com to manage your child’s lunch account and deposit funds. For more information, call 225-275-4347 or email stmcafe@cnpbr.org.
Our students have been invited to perform at the STM Festival on Sunday, May 7! We are excited about this opportunity and are looking forward to an amazing weekend filled with fun, food and fellowship. We will be sharing songs with our fellow parishioners. If your child would like to participate, please click here to let us know.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Preschool - line up at 11:10 a.m., perform at 11:20 a.m.
Kindergarten - line up at 11:20 a.m., perform at 11:30 a.m.
1st grade - line up at 11:30 a.m., perform at 11:40 a.m.
2nd grade - line up at 11:40 a.m., perform at 11:50 a.m.
3rd grade - line up at 11:50 a.m., perform at 12 p.m.
4th grade and up - line up at 12 p.m., perform at 12:10 p.m.
Talent show participants - 12:10 p.m., perform at 12:20 p.m.
Choir - line up at 12:20 p.m., perform at 12:45 p.m.
Cheerleaders - line up at 12:15 p.m., perform at 1:30 p.m.
8th GRADE ONLY - MAY 12: 8th graders may bring their gently-used uniforms to the Junior High building on Friday, May 12 for the upcoming Pass-It-On Uniform Sale. We need only items with the "One STM" logo, plus navy and plaid bottoms. This drop-off date is for 8th grade only.
PRESCHOOL to 7th GRADE - MAY 24: Students in Preschool to 7th grade may bring their gently-used uniforms to school on Wednesday, May 24 for the upcoming Pass-It-On Uniform Sale. We need only items with the "One STM" logo, plus navy and plaid bottoms.
As we wrap up the school year, we are excited to host STM Field Day on Wednesday, May 24. This event will be a wonderful opportunity for the school to come together and experience some high energy and exciting activities! All Kindergarten through 7th grade students will participate in a variety of activities throughout the day. Students are encouraged to wear a t-shirt and/or accessories in the following colors to help show their spirit throughout the day:
Kindergarten - Red
1st grade - Yellow
2nd grade - Green
3rd grade - Blue
4th grade - Red
5th grade - Yellow
6th grade - Green
7th grade - Blue
Due to safety and liability coverage, we cannot allow any other children or siblings, younger or older, to attend Field Day. Only students enrolled at STM may be present.
If you would like to volunteer, help is needed to run the event (must be Child Protection certified) or donate supplies. Click here to see how you can make this a special day for our students!
Field Day Schedule
8:30-10:30 a.m.: Grades 4, 5, 6 and 7
12-2 p.m.: Grades K, 1, 2 and 3
Questions or Concerns? Email Mrs. Llaneza or Ms. Ducote.
Order your child's prepackaged school supplies through June 11 for the 2023-24 school year through School Tool Box. Supply boxes will be delivered directly to STM, so your child will be all set to begin the new school year. Supplies are guaranteed to last all school year. If it doesn't last, School Tool Box will replace it. Please be sure to order the correct grade level box for the 2023-24 year. Click here to order.
Our uniform vendors have sales throughout the summer!
Click here to view Inka's sales.
Click here for the summer reading list for your child's grade level.
SUMMER READING TESTING FOR GRADES 3-6: Tuesday, June 20 and Thursday, July 20
Students in grades 3 through 6 are required to test on two summer reading books. Students may only test on one book at each testing date. More information on times and location to come. Students may wait until we return to school in August to take one or both summer reading tests. Please email Sara Wisdom at wisdoms@stmbr.org if you have any questions.
This Lent, our school community participated in Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl, a program that invites us to reflect on the challenges of global hunger and our Gospel call to care for our global human family. As a school community, we collected $3,327.28 to help provide lifesaving support to more than 190 million people in more than 100 countries, plus hunger and poverty alleviation efforts in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Thank you for participating in CRS Rice Bowl with your family!
East Baton Rouge is collecting information on students who wish to use EBR transportation for the 2023-2024 school year. To verify that your child can receive EBR bus transportation, click here to input your child's pickup and dropoff address.
If your address is zoned to St. Thomas More, please click here to fill out this Google form in its entirety for EACH child. This form must be filled out PER CHILD and not per family. If you only fill this form out for one child, that will be the only child EBR will assign to a bus.
In order to make sure EBR assigns your child(ren) to a bus, this form must be completed by May 10. If this form is not completed by May 10, your child may not be assigned to a bus for the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
If you have questions regarding bus services, please contact the EBR Transportation office at 225-226-3784, or Amy Rispone at 225-275-2820 or risponea@stmbr.org.
There will be no EBR bus service Tuesday, May 23 through Thursday, May 25. Please make alternate arrangements for your child's transportation to and from school on those days.
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!
For the STM Athletics full calendar of events, go to stmbr.org/school/athletics.
SPRING SPORTS AWARDS CONVOCATION: Our Spring Sports Awards Convocation is Tuesday, May 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the gym. We will use this special night to honor our student athletes and coaches. We will pass out participation certificates, letterman awards and pins to those athletes who have earned them for a spring sport this year.
TRACK AND FIELD
VOLLEYBALL
ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY: You may have seen Ms. Baldridge taking pictures at various sporting events this year. If you haven't already, check out her website with the photos she's taken at Shutterly Happy Photography. Feel free to email her with any questions at baldridgek@stmbr.org.
STM PARISH FESTIVAL: The parish festival is next weekend! Make plans to join us Friday, May 5 – Sunday, May 7. Festival hours, raffle ticket information, volunteer opportunities and more can be found at stmfestival.com.
BLOOD DRIVE: Please consider donating blood at the mobile parish blood drive in front of the activity center on Sunday, April 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Appointments may be made by clicking here, but walk-ins are welcome!
NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UP: STM and Keep Tiger Town Beautiful are partnering to clean up the neighborhood and surrounding area. Join us on Saturday, May 13, at 8 a.m., in the church parking lot. It is suggested that volunteers wear gloves and bring grabbers if you have them. Donations of contractor bags are very welcome.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: Registration opens Monday, May 1 for VBS for participants (rising K to 5th grade) and junior helpers (rising 6th to high school). Join us this summer for VBS 2023 from June 19-23, where kids discover what it means to shine Jesus' light! At Stellar VBS, kids explore how Jesus shined hope, love, forgiveness and joy to the world - and how we can do the same! Click here to register. Adult volunteers are still needed!
PARISH BULLETIN: Click here to keep up with all parish news and information by reading the weekly church bulletin (and reference archived copies).
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St. Thomas More Catholic School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at its schools. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic, and other school administered programs.
