We are aware of and monitoring the extreme winter weather front that is possible for early next week. Fortunately, Monday is a scheduled in-service day and there will be no school. However, if any weather conditions carry over to Tuesday, we will make any notifications via the IRIS Alert system as soon as possible. If the campus is closed to in-person activities on Tuesday, we will have a Remote Learning Day. PK3-3rd grade students are bringing home a device and login information to help facilitate learning from home should the need arise on Tuesday. Specific grade-level expectations will be shared with parents via the homeroom teachers.

Per the instruction of Cardinal DiNardo and Fr. Francis, students will receive ashes at school – sprinkled on the crown of their heads

We hope you marked your calendar for our “Paws for Books'' Book Fair February 22nd – 26th. It will be a virtual fair, with shopping done online through the St. Cecilia link to the Scholastic Book Fair website.

How to Shop: On February 22nd the link to our Bookfair will be active and open for parents, students, and teachers to browse and shop. Students can build their wish lists and save them. Parents can then edit those wish lists, making deletions and additions, before checking out. Orders will be shipped directly to your home. Free shipping for orders of books over $25.

Teacher Wish Lists: Several teachers have set up eWallet accounts. We invite you to contribute to their eWallets so that the teachers may purchase books for their classrooms. The links to the teachers’ eWallets will be included in next week’s Insider.

LAST CALL: “Paws for Books” Photo Collage: Photos of St. Cecilia students reading to, or with, their pets. Take a picture of your child reading to, or with, your pet. Email the picture to efostey@saintcecilia.org. Please include your child’s name and the pet’s name too. Deadline: Tuesday, February 16th.

We are excited to announce our second annual Read-A-Thon being held in conjunction with the school’s Annual Book Fair from Monday, February 22nd - Friday, February 26th. The purpose of both the Book Fair and Read-A-Thon is to promote literacy and also to support the school and HSA. Proceeds go straight to support educational programs like STREAM and Student Enrichment days, such as Astronomy Night, Cultural day, and the recent visit of the Houston Grand Opera. Click here for more Read-A-Thon Information & Resources.

The February School Board Meeting will take place at 6:30PM on Tuesday, February 16th. Board meetings are open to parents to attend and are currently being held on Zoom. If you are interested in attending a meeting, please contact our School Board President Nadine Balombin.

School Yearbook photos will be taken on Friday, February 26th. This year due to COVID-19 all school photo orders need to be placed online – there is no ordering in person on Friday, February 26th. Click here to order photos online. Remote families will receive a separate communication regarding a plan to assist with yearbook photos for our remote learners.

We are so excited to announce the following students who represented St. Cecilia Catholic School in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Art Contest. Click this link to view their art. We are so proud of all their hard work!

Annie Willrich - Prek4 - 1st Place

Neil Schmella - K - Finalist

Robert Dougherty - 1st Grade - 2nd Place

Lena Lister - 1st Grade - Finalist

Tristan Baquet - 1st Grade - 1st Place

Amelia Meche - 1st Grade - 2nd Place

Gibson Simoni - 1st Grade - 3rd Place

Victoria Boza - 2nd Grade - Finalist

Santiago Gunn - 2nd Grade - 2nd Place

Clodagh Boyle - 5th Grade - Finalist

Megan Pflughaupt - 5th Grade - 1st Place

Valentina Gunn - 6th Grade - 3rd Place

Mia Lopez - 6th Grade - Finalist

Mia Sotomayor - 6th Grade - 3rd Place

Grace Lee - 7th Grade - Finalist

Talley Cohan - 7th Grade - 2nd Place

Sara Sanmiguel - 8th Grade - Finalist

Please see the presentation shared at this past Wednesday night's Parents and Coaches Zoom meeting. The presentation has details about each sport including coach information. For questions please contact Athletic Coordinator Sammy Chaffee.

Over the next two weeks, St. Cecilia Catholic School will be completing additional campus security upgrades with the installation of new doors and security gates at various entry points throughout campus. Please pardon our dust as we make these important upgrades to our campus security. While doors are being replaced, uniformed police officers will be on campus to monitor entry points.

St. Cecilia Sports Association is offering T-Ball, Baseball, and Softball once again this Spring for students in PK- 5th grade. We compete in the WHCSA league against other area churches, parishes, and schools. Each team practices one day a week; however, school sports are going on at the same time, which could affect practices. Games are on Saturday's from March 27-May 15. Come join the fun and sign-up today!

*Please note that once you register, your child(ren) will automatically be put on a waitlist until there are enough players to form a team. Once a team is formed, you will receive an email to complete your registration.

Due to COVID-19, there will be different procedures in place for games and practices. Please be aware that the season could be subject to change due to the WHSCA League and the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston.

St. Cecilia Catholic Church's annual observance of Lent begins on Wednesday, February 17th. Ash Wednesday is a day of Fasting and Abstinence, and an important part of our Catholic tradition. The church will celebrate a number of Masses, all of which will include the distribution of ashes.

Mass times:

6:30am | 8:15am | 12:15pm| 5:00pm | 7:00pm in Spanish

February 19 & 26 | March 5, 12, 19, 26

5:30pm - 8:00pm

Join us for a Lenten tradition at St. Cecilia, our annual Friday Night Fish Fry. We start serving at 5:30p.m. and conclude at 8:00p.m.

Plates are:

$10.00 for Adults

$8.00 for Seniors

$6.00 for Kids (under 10)

$2.00 extra for Shrimp

This year will be Drive-Thru only! Enter the church parking lot from Denise and look for a Knight to guide you through. In addition to being able to pay onsite, you will also be able to utilize contactless ordering and payment.

Meal includes Fried Catfish or Baked Tilapia, (Shrimp for +$2.00), Tater-Tots, Hushpuppies, Coleslaw & Dessert.

Sponsored by: Knights of Columbus Council 13357

February 19 & 26 | March 5, 12, 19, 26

6:00pm (English) | 7:00pm (Español)

The Stations of the Cross began as the practice of pious pilgrims to Jerusalem who would retrace the final journey of Jesus Christ to Calvary. Later, for the many who wanted to pass along the same route, but could not make the trip to Jerusalem, a practice developed that eventually took the form of the fourteen stations currently found in almost every church.

*We will not have the 5:00pm Stations for children this year.

We would like to thank Courtney Knott, Melissa Darvishi, Missy Wibbelsman, Shalini Codispoti, and Thao Ngo from our St. Cecilia School family. They are members of our St. Cecilia Tech / Multimedia Ministry and take part in live-streaming our daily virtual masses. Thank you for keeping our community connected.

Are you interested in joining? No experience is necessary, we will train you. We are looking for individuals who have an interest in helping out with various exciting projects, such as the live streaming of our masses. Any St. Cecilia Catholic School parents who volunteer for this ministry can apply these hours to the in-parish discount application for the next school year. As always, we are following all the safety protocols possible to ensure the well-being of our community and staff. The live streaming of our masses is accomplished in a private room. “Live and Share the Joy of the Gospel.” We hope to hear from you soon Sign up here!

If you are experiencing a hardship of any kind please contact the HSA Caring Committee for support or prayer requests. They are here to help!

The HSA Caring Committee is a volunteer group that supports St. Cecilia Catholic School families who are dealing with illness, death, or crisis.