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Principal's Update
Dear Parents,
Welcome to a new school year! We look forward to partnering with you on behalf of your children.
One brief note on Carpool; thanks to all of our families for following the process. This will insure for the safety of the children and shorter wait times. I appreciate your patience as we work through the kinks in the process. Each day, with your help, we make significant improvements in time, efficiency and, most importantly, in safety.
I look forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming back to school nights onWednesday, 8/30 and Thursday, 8/31 at 6:30 PM in the school gym. On both nights we will enthrone our school to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and The Immaculate Heart of Mary.
A special word of thanks to Mr. McClure, (Father of Patrick, 4th grade STS student) for his generous donation of umbrellas for our entire Carpool Team, they certainly came in handy this morning! We greatly appreciate Mr. McClure's generosity.
The High School Placement Test is required for all students who plan to attend a Diocesan high school. It is part of the admission process, and the results are used to place students in their courses as freshmen. This year the test is on
November 30
, and is given here at STS.
For several years, we have partnered with Testmasters to provide an online HSPT prep course. Through this arrangement, St. Timothy School students are given a discount for a course that prepares students for success on the HSPT. If you are interested in learning more about the course and signing up, please contact Mrs. Rutledge.
Each year, with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, our school co
mmunity embraces a scriptural theme that provides a framework for our faith based activities and formation efforts throughout the year. The theme this year is from Matthew 19:26;
"With God all things are possible."
This spiritual theme gives us hope and strengthens our resolve to pursue God's will in our lives. This theme also complements and supports our professional focus this year; Modeling Excellence in all that we do. You will be hearing more about this theme and its significance to our school's mission and strategic initiatives throughout the year.
Every spring our enrollment management committee distributes a parent survey to solicit helpful feedback on our school's strengths and opportunity areas. Many of our strategic school improvement efforts for this coming school year are focused specifically on enhancing the strengths, and addressing the weaknesses and opportunity areas identified in the survey responses. To that end, we will be implementing the following programs and strategic initiatives:
- We will enhance our Advanced Academics Programs (Math and Writing) by providing more frequent parent communications regarding assessments and curricula, expanding the Math Program to also include first and second grades and provide specific teachers dedicated to each content area. Mrs. Katie Nash is our Advanced Math Teacher and Mr. Michael Pryor will be taking on our Advance Writing Program.
- We are committed to increasing the quality and quantity of our parent communications, especially in communicating academic progress (Classroom performance and Scantron Testing) , advanced academics, Middle School Math Placements, our use of instructional technologies and more details associated with our expansion plans.
- In addition to our weekly Tuesday Tidbits publication, this year we will be
sending out an additional weekly publication (each Friday), that provides an overview and reminder of upcoming school events for the next week.
- This year our teacher professional development efforts are focused on understanding and leveraging student performance data, designing lessons and assessments for differentiation and enabling a heightened focus on establishing and achieving class specific, grade level and PLC (Professional Learning Community) based goals.
- We remain committed to attracting, hiring, training and retaining high quality teachers and staff. This includes the introduction of creative compensation initiatives that provide performance incentives to reward teachers for student performance gains and exemplary performance. We will also expand the quantity of teacher stipends for afterschool clubs and activities.
- Establish partnerships with local college teacher preparation programs. This year we are focused on expanding and leveraging our relationships with Marymount University, Christendom College and James Madison University.
- Continue to enhance our school safety and emergency response efforts.
- Expand STREAM programs to expose children to 21st Century skills (Robotics and Math Competitions, extracurricular programs, STS business partner sessions, etc. ). This year we will be introducing a STEM Fair that will replace our traditional Science Fair. We also plan to have more of our classes participate in the National Math League Competitions. Last year two of our classes earned top five honors in the nation.
- We will be introducing a "Student Etiquette Program" that will include formal social etiquette lessons for students and real life events; including high teas, formal sit down meals and other social events where students are given opportunities to practice and model exemplary behavior (excellence).
- This year we are introducing a "Modeling Excellence" program for our teachers where they will be consistently modeling excellence in their communications, pedagogy, interactions with students and in their faith formation efforts.
- With the generous support of our amazing PTO, we will be transforming theopen area between the primary school buildings to create a series of gardens that includes a stand-alone Green House. This will provide students with real life lessons on growing plants and vegetables, the economics associated with the sale of products, healthy eating habits and the importance of feeding the poor.
- Once again, partnering with our PTO, we are transforming one of our middle school classrooms to create a comfortable learning environment that is similar to our students homes and, according to numerous research studies, will enhance and improve student learning.
- This year we will also provide additional spirituality days and retreats for our students, parents and teachers.
Saint Timothy Catholic School remains committed to providing our students with an individualized, supportive, faith based learning environment. I greatly appreciate your active support of our wonderful school.
As always I welcome your comments, questions and suggestions.
God Bless You,
Mr. Joseph M. McLaughlin
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Kitchen News: Parents, remember to sign up at ezparentcenter.org to register your students, add money to their account and pre-order their lunches.
Next week's lunches are:
- Pasta and Sauce,
- Crispy Chicken Salad,
- Italian Deli on Ciabatta
- Pizza Margherita.
Please email Karen Yee if you have any questions.
New Saint Timothy School Volunteer Program
The one place to sign up and log your hours!
You asked for it and we have delivered! We have streamlined our Volunteer Program for the upcoming school year. We hope that that these changes help make it easier to communicate volunteer opportunities, for parents to find opportunities that work in their schedule, and for families to log and track their volunteer hours!
- We will no longer be using a Points for Parents program, and will move to a Volunteer Hours Program - 12 hours are still needed to fulfill your Volunteer Program Requirement (6 hours for preschool only families).
- We will be adding more opportunities that haven't been available in the past to help earn your hours. For example, coaching an STS sports team can now earn you half or all of your total hours for the year.
- If you have any questions about volunteering or how to create an account on Track it Forward please feel free to reach out to Carrie Ladowicz.
"With God All Things Are Possible" ~Matthew 19:26
This year, St. Timothy School has adopted a theme of trust and hope in God from St. Matthew's Gospel. Trust and hope in God's plan for us will also be our focus during the month of September. St. Timothy School students will explore the theological virtue of Hope through the lives of St. Joseph, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Bls. Louis & Zelie Martin, who trusted in God and did what God asked of them even when it was challenging.
Every month, the faculty and staff will work with students to explore the many ways that we can live our faith by practicing the beautiful examples of virtues given us by all the saints. We will provide you with information about the virtue that we are exploring here, so that you might also discuss it at home with your children.
This year we will again adorn our Virtue Vine with names of students from all grades who exemplify the monthly virtue. The Virtue Vine is located along the wall between the art room and the fifth grade. We invite you to visit it when you are here.
God bless you,
STS, School Counselor
STS Mayor, Nikita Piper (3rd grade) shares a moment with
Father Meng and
Mr. McLaughlin on the first day of school.
We think she was discussing big plans for the school year!
FROM THE PTO
A very special thank you to Kristin Hunt for organizing and running the Tiger Closet this summer. This is a great resource for families throughout the St. Timothy Community. Please join us in welcoming two new committee chairs to the St. Timothy PTO Family. Kristin Lynch will be taking over original artworks this year and Kelly Escorpizo will be in charge of box tops. Please be on the lookout for information from them in the coming weeks.
Join in the fun during our After School Activities! Clubs are enrolling now and will begin Mid-Late September! Click here to sign up for the Silver Knights Chess Club, STEM Club, Ecology Club, Craft Club, Mission Commission, Choir.
More information coming in next week's Tuesday Tidbits!
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Each First Friday of the Month stu
dents are asked to bring in food for the Parish St.
Vincent dePaul Society Food Pantry.
Friday, September 1st will be the first collection!
Thank you in advance for your generous support of the food pantry.
Grade K - boxes of low sugar cereal
Grade 1 - cans of pasta (meat & meatless)
Grade 2 - cans of tuna
Grade 3 - Mac 'n Cheese
Grade 4 - Mac 'n Cheese
Grade 5 - boxes of pasta
Grade 6 - boxes of low sugar cereal
Grade 7 - cans of fruit
Grade 8 - cans of vegetable
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Tiger Closet will be open Fridays
from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Now is a great time to stock up on uniforms for the coming school year. If you have any uniforms to donate to the closet, kindly drop them off in the school office. Thank you!
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Upcoming Events:
Wednesday, August 30th - Preschool Orientation for 4s @10 a.m.; Back to School Night K - 5, 6:30 p.m. (Gym)
Thursday, August 31st - Preschool Orientation for 3s @10 a.m; Back to School Night for Middle School, 6:30 p..m. (Gym)
Friday, September 1st - 1st Friday Food Pantry Collection, NOON DISMISSAL
Monday, September 4th - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day
Tuesday, September 5th - 1st Day Reception for Bunnies, Owls, Frigs, and Fish
Wednesday, September 6th - 1st Day Reception for Birds
Friday, September 8th - PTO Meeting @ 8a.m., Principal /Pastor Coffee following the 9 a.m. Mass (both meetings will be in the Aftercare Room), 8th Grade Verdun Field Trip
Monday, September 18th - Room Mother's Tea @ 3:30 p.m. (Cafeteria)
Tuesday, September 19th - Preschool Coffee Aftercare Room - 8 a.m.
Tuesday, September 19th 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Preschool Ice Cream Social on the Preschool Playground
Wednesday, September 20th - Lions Club Vision & Hearing Test (3rd - 7th grade)
Wednesday & Thursday, September 20th & 21st - Picture Days
Thursday, September 21st - AllPro Dad's Breakfast 7 a.m. (Cafeteria)
Friday, September 22nd - NOON DISMISSAL - Professional Development Day
Saturday, September 30 - Parish International Festival
Monday, October 9th - NO SCHOOL - Columbus Day!
Tuesday, October 10th - Students begin wearing their "traditional uniform"
Friday, October 27th - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day
Thursday & Friday, November 9th & 10th - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Conferences
And we're off to a fabulous start! Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us!
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