To view the entire Parent News, please click "[Message clipped] View entire message." at the end of this email.
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Dear Parents,
With the arrival of fall, the campus will transform into a colorful scene of leaves afoot and students accessorized in the new school blazers. Your daughters have been busy this past month and there is much to look forward to; hence, check out the list of activities below.
Our faculty and staff dedicated weeks in preparing for the Auction Raffle Skit for students. The performance of an episode of "Friends" was well received and introduced the STA sweatpant that students can earn by selling raffle tickets. We greatly appreciate the dedication of our faculty and staff.
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- Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated September 15- October 15 each year with students listening to songs and discussing food, poems and perspectives of the Hispanic cultures.
- A group of students and faculty members participated in the KC Climate Strike on September 20 at Frank A. Theis Park. Participants demanded transformative action be taken by our world's governments to address the climate crisis.
- Junior students attended Rise Up, The Struggle of the Freedom Riders at The Coterie Theatre on September 20. The play is told from a modern-day perspective of four students in 2019 who make a class project about 1961's Freedom Riders, citizens riding buses across Alabama and Mississippi in 1961 to stand up against segregation.
- STA International Day was held Thursday, September 26. Read complete details under Academics below.
- Founders Day & St. Teresa of Avila are celebrated on October 15 with a prayer service on campus. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet share a common origin with thousands of Sisters of Saint Joseph throughout the world who trace their roots to LePuy, France, in 1650. They were among the first Catholic communities to be founded by ordinary women who supported themselves by making lace, a common trade in that region of France.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parents are invited to campus on Thursday, October 17, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. and 5:30-7:00 p.m. Students are welcome to attend conferences, if they choose. Conferences are set up on a first-come, first-serve basis and are designed to briefly introduce you to your daughter's teachers and the courses they offer. If you feel you need more than a few minutes to discuss any topic, please contact the teacher directly to set up an alternate day and time.
Barbara J. McCormick
Principal of Academic Affairs
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
October 1, 2019
Mass Advisory Group D
October 3, 2019
Sophomore Gift-Gathering Party
October 4, 2019
Freshman Evening Retreat
October 8, 2019
Mass Advisory Group E
October 9, 2019
Autumn Concert
October 10, 2019
Parent/Daughter Mass & Adoration
Junior Gift-Gathering Party
Star Parents Association Meeting
October 11, 2019
Senior Gift-Gathering Party
October 14, 2019
Informational Meeting for Prospective Parents
October 15, 2019
St. Teresa of Avila Feast Day
Founders' Day Prayer Service
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October 16, 2019
Freshman Day of Service
Sophomores/Juniors: PSAT
Seniors: NO Classes
October 17, 2019
Parent/Teacher Conferences, 1:30-4:30 p.m. & 5:30-7:00 p.m.
October 17-21, 2019
No School/Fall Break
October 19, 2019
STA Alumnae Reunion Celebration
October 22, 2019
Mass Advisory Group A
October 24, 2019
Friends & Alumnae Gift-Gathering Party
October 25, 2019
Testing & Freshman Activities
Seniors: NO Classes
October 27
Open House
October 29, 2019
Women's Circle of Giving Grant Reporting
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The October Smart Tuition billings include AP exam fees, if your daughter ordered an exam. Please login to Smart and review activity on your account. If you have any questions please email Cheryl Givens at
cgivens@stteresasacademy.org
.
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NASA Aerospace Engineer Presentation
Friday, November 1
M&A Auditorium
Alicia Dwyer Cianciolo
, aerospace engineer from NASA Langley Research Center, will be welcomed at STA to
highlight several of the amazing projects going on across the agency, as well as the opportunities to intern and work at NASA
. Alicia is a member of the Atmospheric Flight and Entry Systems Branch of NASA and primarily works on Mars exploration. Here's the kicker...she does the bulk of her work remotely from her home in Lee's Summit, Missouri! So often when students consider a career in a STEAM field, they really have no idea of the scope or increasing flexibility of possibilities. Repeatedly, studies have indicated that a major factor contributing to the dropout of women in STEAM careers is believing they have to make a choice between family and career. Alicia is an excellent example of someone who is making it work! An invitation to attend her presentation has been extended to a group of interested female students from Bishop Miege and KC Girls Prep.
This is not a school-wide required event, but please encourage your student to attend, if you feel she would be interested and benefit from this experience.
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Important Dates for Freshmen
Freshman parents, please note the following upcoming dates:
- Friday, October 4, from 4:30-9:30 p.m.: Freshman Retreat
- Wednesday, October 16, from 8:00-11:30 a.m.: Freshman Day of Service
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Open House
All Future Stars and their parents are welcome!
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Mass (optional) starts at 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel of St. Joseph. Join the student-led tours from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., leaving every half hour from the Windmoor Center.
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HSPT Prep Course for 8th Graders
STA offers a High School Placement Test Prep Classes on our campus. This six-session, $140 course will take place from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.: November 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, and 21. For more information or to register your daughter, please
click here
.
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Once Upon a Mattress
Music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson
November 6-9, 7:30 p.m.
M&A Auditorium
If you thought you knew the story of
The Princess and the Pea
, you may be in for a walloping surprise! Carried on a wave of wonderful songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, this rollicking spin on the familiar classic of royal courtship and comeuppance provides for some side-splitting shenanigans. Chances are you'll never look at fairy tales quite the same way again. Family fun for all ages!
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A Night to Shine Gift-Gathering Parties
Please join us!
Take part in a fun, easy way to contribute to the
A Night to Shine
Auction. Join parents from your daughter's class to contribute donations, mingle, and enjoy great food and beverages. Party dates and host couples for each class are listed below.
$25 Single Tickets or $150 Sponsorship (Sponsors receive two (2) tickets to the party and recognition in the
A Night to Shine
Auction program.)
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Sophomore Class:
October 3, 2019
Jenny & Warren Erdman
Emily & Matt Eckles
Gianni Hughes
Julie (’84) & Mike McCann
Junior Class:
October 10, 2019
Erin & Steve Mos
Pamela & Jon Baker
Gretchen & John FitzGerald
Kristi & Tim Fuemmeler
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Senior Class:
October 11, 2019
Jennifer & Steve Franke
Jackie & Jerry Adriano
Becky & Rob Flores
Molly & Jeff Hupke
STA Friends & Alumnae:
October 24, 2019
Francie (’96) & Brian Bradley
Lynn (’79) & Jay Reardon
Joane (’79) & Bryan Wilkerson
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A Night to Shine Auction 2019
Friday, November 22, 2019
Attend this fun-filled evening on Friday, November 22, in the Goppert Center Gym on the St. Teresa's Academy campus. The
A Night to Shine
Auction will be filled with bright lights, delicious food and drink, and silent and live auction entertainment! Bring your family and friends to share a table among the stars. RSVP by clicking the button below.
Proceeds from the
A Night to Shine
Auction benefit students' financial assistance, as well as the education, programs, and facilities provided by St. Teresa's Academy.
Learn more about sponsorship opportunities and the event
here
.
Donate an item for the live or silent auction
here
.
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Congratulations to STA's National Merit Commended Students!
Three St. Teresa's Academy seniors have been named National Merit Commended Students.
Mary Massman
,
Elise McGhie
, and
Lauren Wittek
each scored in the top 34,000 students from more than 1.5 million students across the nation who took the PSAT in October of 2018.
The mission of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States.
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National Honor Society
NHS applications will be available online November 1. The application deadline is
November 15
. Criteria: junior or senior, minimum of 93.0 or higher cumulative GPA as of June 2019 (and prior to induction in March 2020), a minimum of 15 hours of service to STA, a minimum of 15 hours of community service to a non-profit organization, leadership, and character. Service hours must be from March 15, 2019, through the application deadline.
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Moon Festival Celebration
On September 13, students in the three Chinese classes celebrated the Moon Festival. The Moon Festival is also called Mid-Autumn Festival and Zhōng qiū jié (中秋节) in Chinese. The Festival is celebrated every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar (八月十五日), when the moon is at its maximum brightness for the entire year (it falls on September 13th in 2019).
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China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia all celebrate "Mid-Autumn Festival/Zhōng qiū jié." It's like Thanksgiving in United States. Chinese people get together with their family, have a reunion dinner, appreciate the moon, drink tea, and eat moon cake.
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STA International Day
On Thursday, September 26, the wide cultural diversity of STA and students' roles as global citizens were celebrated. The event included a special exhibition with staff, students, their families, and international Kansas City associations (such as the UMKC Foreign Language Program and Alliance Française - Kansas City) hosting workshops, displays, food tastings, and music.
The goal of International Day was to create a cultural enrichment experience. Students benefited from the participation of more than fifteen countries, including Spain, Peru, the Philippines, Romania, and Vietnam.
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Hispanic Heritage Month
Spanish teachers and their students celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. Students listen to songs and discuss food, poems, and other products and perspectives of the Hispanic cultures. Activities are open to the entire school. On October 3, different groups will perform traditional dances from a variety of Hispanic countries. Bistro Kitchen will prepare several Hispanic dishes for students.
The Hispanic Heritage Month will end with students attending the Day of the Dead Celebration at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. The STA Hispanic Affinity Group will collaborate with the museum in creating their altar. STA will have two altars, one dedicated to Frida Kahlo, and the other will honor the deceased loved ones of the STA community.
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KC Climate Strike Support
On September 20, a group of students and faculty attended the Kansas City Climate Strike in Frank A. Theis Park to urge the world's leaders to take action against climate change. St. Teresa's Academy and senior Kailee Ford appeared in an article about the Strike in
The Kansas City Star
.
Click here
to read more.
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Interim Week
Enrollment for Interim Week 2020 is just around the corner, and this year a host of unique and thought-provoking experiences have been added, including new corporate and community partnerships, and student-led courses.
These exciting new opportunities include:
- Women in Finance with American Century Inc.
- Design Thinking with Barkley Advertising
- World Dance with City in Motion
- Living Lightly: an experiential introduction to philosophy and practice of nomadic living
- Car Maintenance for the College Bound Teen
In three weeks, students will get to select one or two of these experiential and academic classes. Be on the lookout for the Interim Week 2020 course catalogue. While many classes are free, some do require a fee which will be charged to your Smart Tuition account. Please keep this in mind when helping your daughter select her courses.
We are looking forward to another amazing Interim Week (January 8-10, 2020)!
If you have any questions, please email
Kelly Fast
, Experiential Education Coordinator.
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Service Fair
On September 23, junior students attended the annual Service Fair. Members of area service organizations were present at the Fair to give students the chance to learn more about opportunities available for their Junior/Senior Service Project. During each student's junior and senior years, 90 hours of community service are devoted in service to the dear neighbor.
Service Contracts are due to Andrea Arredondo, Director of Ministry and Service, no later than
October 28.
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Thank you to all the families who attended the Junior College Info Night and the College Fair last month. Both events had record attendance. During the month of October, STA will host over 40 colleges and universities on campus. The visit schedule is updated weekly and is on Naviance. Juniors and seniors receive a "visit reminder" email each Wednesday with details for the following week.
Parents of the Class of 2021,
be on the lookout for your fall College Planning News. It will be sent via email in early October. It will include details on the search process, standardized testing, visiting college campuses, and much more.
Parents of the Class of 2020,
join us on
Thursday, October 17,
from 4:30-5:30 p.m. (in between parent/teacher conference time) in the M&A auditorium for our college financial aid workshop. The FAFSA will open this year in October! Go to
www.fafsa.ed.gov
. Be on the lookout in the next few days for our detailed financial aid news.
TESTING
ACT and SAT Test Registration Information (Juniors)
- College Counseling will be attending the October Junior Class Meeting to discuss the ACT & SAT registration process and requirements.
PSAT (Sophomores and Juniors)
- All sophomores and juniors will be testing on Wednesday, October 16. Students should arrive on campus NO later than 7:45 a.m. as testing check-in will begin promptly at 7:50 a.m. Late arrivals will NOT be allowed to test. Dismissal will be from 11:15-11:30 a.m. This is a national test date and there is no alternate test date for juniors. PSAT information booklets were distributed through English classes at the end of September. Students must bring two no. 2 pencils, a calculator, and may dress out of uniform. Room assignments will be emailed by class and posted on the front doors of all buildings the week of the test.
Practice ACT (Sophomores & Juniors)
- All sophomores and juniors will test on Friday, October 25. Students should arrive on campus NO later than 7:45 a.m. as testing check-in will begin promptly at 7:50 a.m. Late arrivals will NOT be allowed to test. Dismissal will be at approximately 11:30 a.m. Students must bring two no. 2 pencils, a calculator, and may dress out of uniform. Room assignments will be emailed by class and posted on the front doors of all buildings the week of the test. For more information, go to
www.actstudent.org
. Scores will be available following the test through the Revolution Prep app. Students have pre-registered for the practice test with Revolution Prep and listed a parent email for score return.
www.revolutionprep.com
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Discover exciting updates about fall sports, and learn important information about winter sports tryouts. Click below to read the latest!
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New Plaza Tennis Court Windscreens
If you're in the Plaza area, check out the new St. Teresa's Academy Plaza Tennis Court windscreens surrounding the northern tennis courts. The STA tennis team uses these courts for practice and some matches. The branded windscreens make for a great backdrop and an eye-catching presence in the STA community.
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What once was thought to be a harmless habit has now turned into a national crisis. Hundreds of people have been recently diagnosed with acute lung injury after vaping. Six people across the U.S. have died. Because of this crisis, health officials are now urging people to stop vaping immediately.
The latest statistics show that 1 out of 5 young adults is vaping. Even if your child is not vaping, someone in your life might be. All the news recently about vaping can be overwhelming, so
Marion Spence Pierson, M.D. FAAP
(Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics), STA Board Member, and parent, shares the following article from Children's Mercy to provide a quick list of the top things you need to know.
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Fall has arrived! The Star Shop has fleece jackets, scarves, hats, sweatshirts, long-sleeved uniform shirts, and t-shirts to keep you warm.
Save the date for the CHRISTMAS SALE on Saturday, December 7.
The Star Shop is available
ONLINE
for shopping and ordering. Choose to pick up your merchandise at the Star Shop or have your items shipped to you. Hours for the Star Shop during regular schedule school days are Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Volunteers Needed
Your help is needed in the Star Shop during special events, including athletic games, Open House, the Reunion Celebration, and Christmas Sale. Click the button below to sign up now!
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We need your help! Please consider volunteering for one of the following opportunities:
Adoration
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be held following the Parent/Daughter Masses in the St. Joseph Chapel. Please sign up here to come spend an hour in prayer before the Divine Presence.
Dates to choose from include: September 12, October 10, November 14, December 12, January 9, February 13, March 12, and April 30.
Note: You can coordinate with your daughters free periods so you can be in Adoration together. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!
Auction
As STA’s largest fundraiser, the money raised through the Auction remains essential in providing our students with financial assistance, as well as the most advanced educational curriculum, technology, and facilities, and the most talented and dedicated teaching staff available.
Your help is needed to make this important event a success. Take a look at the many ways to get involved.
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Starting this year, members of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) will run StarCups, STA’s coffee shop. The Cafe will be open on Friday mornings from 7:00-7:40 a.m. and on Wednesday mornings starting in October! StarCups offers a variety of items including: hot and iced coffee, chai lattes, smoothies, orange juice, chocolate milk, hot cocoa, muffins, and granola bars.
StarCups allows the members of FBLA to learn fundamental business skills of profit vs. expenses, while at the same time fundraising for this extracurricular activity. Every Friday and Wednesday, students in FBLA volunteer for 1-1.5 hours making drinks, checking students out, and working on customer service.
Encourage your students to come to StarCups in the morning for a nice cup of coffee, a delicious treat, and a fun place to hang out before school. Prices are lower than many local chains and profits are used to send students to State and National competitions.
You can learn more about STA FBLA and StarCups by
clicking here
.
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Give Back to STA Through AmazonSmile
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support St. Teresa's Academy every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at
smile.amazon.com
, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to St. Teresa's (when designated as your charitable organization).
AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Get shopping and giving now!
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