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 our school and to the district during the self-study process. Please take the time and click here to complete the brief online survey by February 9. 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.
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.
Please click here to submit your nomination. Nominations are due Monday, February 5.
There are several qualifications:
The person nominated may be a man or woman and must be a current member of the Home and School Association. As a reminder, all parents and guardians are members of the Home and School Association.
There will be no EBR bus transportation on Friday, February 9.
The Diocese of Baton Rouge will host two opportunities for parents to attend Protect Young Eyes internet safety presentations with practical tips, solutions, and ideas to create safer digital environments for families. Click here to register and attend a presentation.
According to Newsguard, websites that host fake articles written by AI have increased by 1,000%, "...generating hundreds, if not thousands, of articles a day." AI is developing rapidly. It can create efficiency with certain tasks, including content creation and research. It’s also creating new, extremely difficult problems related to intellectual property and exploitation, including children. Click here to read The Complete Guide to Deepfakes and AI for Caregivers from Protect Young Eyes.
At our Catholic Schools Week school Mass, two faculty members received milestone years of service awards for the years they have worked in Catholic schools: Kristin Taranto, 10 years and Christina Babin, 40 years! Thank you, Mrs. Taranto and Ms. Babin, for your dedication to Catholic education!
Thank you to everyone who donated flashlights, light bulbs, and batteries to Catholic Charities through this year's Catholic Schools Week service project. We appreciate your generosity!
Click below for the February Lunch menu.
THANK YOU to all of the donors who have supported this year's Annual Fund with a financial gift! Please click here to view the list of donors.
There's still time to give! In the Catholic tradition of stewardship, we invite you to prayerfully consider supporting the St. Thomas More Catholic School 2023-2024 Annual Fund. To give online, please go to stmbr.org/annualfund. To pay by check, please drop by the school office or mail to: St. Thomas More Catholic School Annual Fund, 11400 Sherbrook Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70815.
Please call the school office at 225-275-2820 if you need assistance. Your annual contribution is more than a gift; it is an investment in our students that will have a lasting impact. Thank you for your support!
For the STM Athletics full calendar of events, go to stmbr.org/school/athletics.
BOYS BASKETBALL:
VOLLEYBALL: Registration for co-ed Intramural Volleyball for grades 3-4 is open through February 22. Click here to register.
Nurse subs: Are you an RN, PA, or NP? Would you love to be a school nurse for a day? In the event of an emergency, there are not many people that can sub if Nurse Rochelle has an emergency and has to miss work. If you are interested in subbing occasionally, please email rochelle@stmbr.org and she would love to set up a time for you to come shadow her and/or answer any questions. Child Protection Training is required.
Pills on campus: Recently, loose prescription pills have been found on campus. This is very dangerous for our younger students. Per our handbook policy, students may not be in possession of prescription or OTC medications on campus. If your child takes daily medication at home, please supervise the administration of the medication(s). Please email or call Nurse Rochelle if you have any questions about medication administration during the school day. rochelle@stmbr.org or (225) 272-3072.
THANK YOU to chairs Colleen Bryant and Beth Morgan for collecting, counting, and shipping our Community Coffee Cash for Schools proofs of purchase, and thanks to YOU for sending the proofs of purchase to us! ! STM earned $2052.20 this year! We are now collecting for the 2024-2025 school year, and you are welcome to submit your proofs of purchase at any time to your child's homeroom teacher or to the school office. Funds from the program go directly to STM teachers for their classrooms! Save your own proofs of purchase, plus consider posting this easy ask flyer at you or your family’s places of work or your STM family-owned local places of business.
Home & School is a home-school partnership involving collaborative working relationships between families and schools and we look forward to working with you! Go to stmbr.org/hsa23 for information about STM Home and School events and committees, and to sign up as a volunteer. Please note that to take advantage of these volunteer opportunities you must be Child Protection Certified.
FELLOWSHIP SUNDAY: All are invited to coffee and donuts in the activity center after the 8 and 10 a.m. Masses on February 11.
LENT: Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14. Ashes will be distributed at Masses on the 14 at 7 am, 12on, and 6 pm. Ash Wednesday is a day of fast and abstinence. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Stations of the Cross will be prayed on Fridays during Lent at 6 p.m. in the church.
DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET: The Divine Mercy Chaplet of Novenas continues in the church on Tuesdays after 6 p.m. Mass – join us on February 6, 20, 27; March 5, 12, 19, 26; and April 2.
LENTEN FISH FRIES: Mark your calendars for the Lenten Fish Fries and plan to join us on February 23, March 8 and March 22. Fish fry dinners are $10 and are served via activity center drive thru from 5-5:30 p.m., or dine in/take away from the cafeteria from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
LENTEN RETREAT: Fr. Jamin David, diocesan vicar general, is giving a Lenten retreat sponsored the STM Kaycee Auxiliary on Saturday, March 2. For details and registration information, visit https://www.stmbr.org/news/lenten-retreat Registration deadline is February 16.
PARISH FESTIVAL: Planning is underway for the 43rd Annual STM Parish Festival, May 3-5, 2024. Visit https://www.stmfestival.com/ for all festival news!
FEBRUARY 7: Wonderful Wednesday
FEBRUARY 8: School Mass for K-5th, 8:45 a.m.
FEBRUARY 9:
• Purple, Green, and Gold Accessory Day
• No EBR bus service
FEBRUARY 12-16: Mardi Gras Break
FEBRUARY 19: Violet Socks and Bows Day
MARCH 9: Dad & Daughter Dance - Grades K-8
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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.
