September 13, 2017
Strive to be more
Dear Parents,
 

It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces at Monday's and Tuesday's Back-to-School sessions. This is a great time to visit the classroom and hear important information from your child's teacher. Please remember, however, that there is little time for in-depth conversations.  Your child's teacher is always ready to arrange a meeting to discuss any concerns you may have.  Please call the office to leave a message or contact your teacher via email.  
Faculty and staff emails are accessible through the school website.  

I trust that everyone is enjoying the One School, One Book choice, The Trumpet of the Swan.  Copies of the book were distributed to each family last Thursday and we encourage all families to read this book together.  We know that children enjoy being read to no matter what age they are and we hope that this program provides the springboard for a lifetime habit of reading together. Click here to read a great article explaining five benefits that children gain from hearing books read aloud. 

STM has received a generous donation of rosaries that will be distributed to every student for their use during the school year. Father Rippy will bless these rosaries at Friday's 10:00am school Mass.  Please come and join us as we celebrate the Eucharist.

God Bless,


Eleanor McCormack

CHICK-FIL-A LUNCH THIS 
FRIDAY, SEP 15

A Chick-Fil-A lunch will be served this Friday, September 15, to those students who purchased Chick-Fil-A for the 
2017-18 school year.
SCANTRON SUPPLIES NEEDED
FOR 3RD TO 7TH GRADE

It has come to our attention that earbuds were inadvertently left off this year's school supply list.  Earbuds are a needed item for several Scantron questions. We are asking parents of students in 3rd through 7th grade to purchase and/or send in a pair of earbuds that can be kept at school and used by their child for scheduled Scantron assessments. Thank you!
Mark your calendars! Registration for the Fall 2017 After-School Enrichment session will be held September 21-October 2! The Enrichment program provides an easy, safe, convenient way for your child to explore a new hobby, dive deeper into a developing passion, or hang out with friends after school in a fun, structured environment.
 
Registration for the Fall Session will be open
Thursday, September 21 - Monday, October 2, Midnight.
 
For program information, schedule, and registration,
visit the STM Enrichment site 
 
For more information, please contact
Ellen Walsh, STM PTO Enrichment Coordinator ellenwalsh703@gmail.com
STM FOOD DRIVE FOR AFAC

STM Junior Troop #57 will be collecting nonperishable items for Arlington Food Assistance Center.  The items most in need are listed in the flyer below.  Click here to learn more about the Arlington Food Assistance Center. 


 
ST. THOMAS MORE CROSS COUNTRY
 
St. Thomas More Cross Country:   An opportunity for your runners to release active energy, build a healthy life style and make new friends.  Practices focus on conditioning, form and endurance.
 
Who:   Boys and girls in grades 3-8.
 
Formal Practice: Saturday mornings 8:45-9:45 on the fields behind Chinquapin Recreation Center in Alexandria, VA next to TC Williams High School.
 
Informal Practice:  Wednesday afternoons at 5:30 at Fort Ward Park.
 
Cross Country Meets: September 23 rd Fort Hunt 8:00am
October 21 st Laurel Hill 9:00am
November 5 th Burke Lake Park 1:00pm
 
Expectations:
  • Runners are expected to attend formal practice on a regular basis. Please let me know if your child is unable to attend a formal practice, I understand that many of our runners are dual sport athletes.
  • Runners are expected to run on their own two to three times during the school week (depending on age) or play another sport.
  • Runners are expected to uphold the moral standards and the Christian values that CYO represents.
  • Runners are expected to cheer on their teammates and treat their teammates, their parents and coaches with respect.
Coach: Mary McGreevy,  marymcgreevy@hotmail.com
Register Via Sports Pilot by September 15 th 
https://reg.sportspilot.com/106558/account .  Checks can be sent in via backpack mail to 
Arlie McGreevy 3 rd grade Ms. Cox or 
                              Mavourneen McGreevy 6 th grade Mrs. Morgan.



ST. THOMAS MORE TENNIS TEAM


The St. Thomas More CYO tennis season is just around the corner.  If your child is in 3rd - 8th grade and is interested in playing tennis on the 
St. Thomas More tennis team this season, please contact Lee Plaza -  LPlaza@ksfmlaw.com .  Please use "Tennis" in the subject line and let me know the child's name, grade and skill level (beginner, intermediate, advanced).  We hope to start practices ASAP, so please don't delay in getting on my email list.  All parents from last year's team will automatically be sent the information for this upcoming season.   Practices will be one evening a week for an hour and a half and tennis matches are Sunday afternoons beginning on September 17 and through October 29 (with November 5 as a back-up date).  I'm also sad to say that Coach Carlos has moved out of the area, so depending on participation level, I may need one or two 3 rd  or 4 th  grade parents to step up to help with the younger kids.
Please let us know if your child has an interest in playing as soon as possible and whether you are able to help coach at practices and/or weekend matches.  We're looking forward to a great season!  
Thank you.

STM CYO SPORTS
 
Welcome to another school year.  As the CYO Commissioner and Parish Rep, I want to pass along a few CYO items as we start the school year.   Our fall sports are ramping up, so please sign up  on SportsPilot 
https://reg.sportspilot.com/106558/leagues as soon as possible for our Tennis and Cross Country teams.  All registration this year is to be done via the Sports Pilot website.
Our goal is to have maximum participation in our CYO program so any student in need of financial assistance is encouraged to reach out at  stmcyo@live.com. Thanks to the generosity of so many of our families, the CYO has funds set aside to cover these costs.
Registration for basketball (3rd-8th grades) should be opening in early October.  Families that played last year are encouraged to let your coach know if your child is still planning to play this year as soon as possible.  I am trying to get a soft count on the number of teams STM will have this season so we can budget and plan accordingly.  
To those interested in coaching, please contact me as soon as possible.  We have a few vacancies this year specifically for 3rd-grade boys and 5th-grade girls. However, we always need the help, so now is the time to get involved.   For those interested in coaching or helping this year, please make sure
you are Virtus trained before practices start.
The CYO also offers girls volleyball, Track, and Cheerleading--so please reach out if you have any interest in running these programs.  As always, please email Evan Tracey at  stmcyo@live.com if you have any questions about the STM CYO.

WELCOME!

The Cathedral Parish extends a warm welcome to returning and new STM School families.  If you are new to the Cathedral, you can find a wealth of information about parish life, ministries, organizations, and service opportunities on our website.  On Sundays, there is coffee and donuts in Burke Hall. We look forward to meeting you! Our hope is that newcomers to our faith community soon find a "home" here and will become registered parishioners. To promote a sense of belonging, we communicate regularly with the parish community. Registered parishioners receive all parish communications, announcements of parish programs and events, and Catholic Herald.  The Cathedral Connection, our e-newsletter, goes out on a weekly basis to those who provide an email address. We offer sacramental preparation and extensive faith formation programs for children, teens, and adults.
 
Please feel free to join us on Sunday (or Saturday) to learn about our parish family.   If you would like to become a member, click here  
Save the Date
Sunday, Sep 17, 2017
STM Knights of Columbus
PANCAKE BREAKFAST        
Pancake Breakfasts are Back -  Starting September 17.  The Knights of Columbus are hosting a Pancake Breakfast in Burke Hall following the 8:00am, 9:30am and 11:00am Masses on Sunday, September 17.   Please join your fellow parishioners for a great breakfast of Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage and Rolls.
Parish Picnic News!
Oktoberfest is back!  Please come and enjoy delicious food and great music...all for free!  This is a wonderful parish event that draws crowds year after year, so come and join the party!  When and where? Saturday, September 23 rd from 6-9 in 
the church parking lot. 


Introducing Walking with Purpose
Women's Catholic Bible Study
Do you desire to grow in your Catholic faith?  Do you seek connection with other women in our parish community? Are you searching for something more in your life? We invite you to consider joining Walking with Purpose this fall at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More.  Weekly group sessions are starting on Tuesday, 17 October.  Opening Your Heart , our foundational study, is designed for women new to Walking with Purpose whether or not you have any Bible study experience; you are welcome as you are to learn how the Scriptures apply to our everyday lives.
 
Walking with Purpose is a women's Catholic Bible study that aims to bring women to a closer relationship with Christ.  Personal study and small group discussions at WWP each week link our everyday challenges with the solutions given to us through the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church.
 
Interested in learning more?  Please join us to find out what Walking with Purpose is all about!  Bring a friend to meet us at Burke Hall on Tuesday, 17 October at 7:00 pm.  For questions or to RSVP, contact Iris at stmwwp@gmail.com or 571-334-9340 or visit https://www.cathedralstm.org/walking-with-purpose or www.walkingwithpurpose.com for more information.  
We hope to see you! 
Bishop Burbidge and the Arlington Diocese are sponsoring a Pilgrim Experience for the Whole Family on Saturday, October 14th at the Basilica in Washington. The day includes a Holy Hour with reflections on the Message of Fatima, Mass, and a Eucharistic Procession to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine. To view the entire agenda visit arlingtondiocese.org/diocesanpilgrimage
 
STM YOUTH AND FAMILY 
 PILGRIMAGE  TO ROME!   
St. Thomas More Youth Ministry invites youth in 6th-12th grades, accompanied by a parent, to an amazing Easter pilgrimage experience in Rome.  Please see details in the flyer below or contact Michael Jacobeen, Director of Youth Ministry, for more information at (703) 528-7104 or ym@cathedralstm.org.


 
BLAST SUBMISSIONS
STM Blast items must be submitted to eblast@stmschool.org by noon on Monday  in order to be included in that week's edition.   All submissions must be in print-ready form.  Items received after this deadline will be held until the following issue.  Thank you for your cooperation.
Issue: 5
In This Issue
Upcoming Events

Wednesday Sep 13
Parent Meeting for Confirmation 
Burke Hall
6:45pm

Friday Sep 22
11:30am Dismissal
with Extended Day

Saturday Sep 23
Parish Picnic/
OKTOBERFEST
6pm to 9pm
Church parking lot

Monday Sep 25
California Pizza Kitchen  (CPK) Fundraiser
11:30am-9:30pm

Tuesday Sep 26
Dress Down Day for CPK attendees

Saturday Sep 30
Confirmation Retreat for Boys

Monday, October 23
CONFIRMATION
STM  Confirmandi 
and Sponsors gather in Lee Hall at 6:15pm
Confirmation at 7pm
"STM Will Turn the World"