August 2021

STA Mission

St. Teresa’s Academy educates young women to think critically, encourages them through Catholic values to love the dear neighbor without distinction, and empowers them to change the world.

STA administration is working with local health officials to assess the changing situation with COVID-19 in the Kansas City community.

• In compliance with Kansas City's mask mandate, masks are required when indoors at all STA campus spaces effective Monday, August 2. This will remain in place until August 28 or until the city mandate is lifted.

• Please watch your email for additional updates regarding protocols and safety measures to promote a safe environment for your daughter's return to school.

Stay informed, get real-time school alerts and find answers to your questions on STA's free mobile app.

To download, go to your phone’s app store and search for “St. Teresa’s Academy.” Click “Get” to download and open the app. Log in by entering your last name and email address on file for PowerSchool.

CORRECTION TO "STAROPOLY" PARENT BROCHURE:

Please note changes to dates communicated in the brochure you should have recently received in the mail.

Student orientation is scheduled for the following dates:

Transfer students will attend orientation with their respective classes.

Congratulations to STA alumna Kelly Ann Greene, Class of '21, on winning the Market Potential Award at the first Kansas City Invention Convention. Kelly Ann devised the device -- The Baby Saver -- as a student at STA while competing in eCYBERMISSION, a national STEM competition for students. The Baby Saver detects when infants and toddlers are left in the back seat of a hot vehicle, where roughly 40 children die of heatstroke every year in the US. Learn more about this year's impressive inventions and watch a video featuring Kelly Ann. (Photo credit: Beth Lipoff)

Kelly Ann earned her STEAM Certificate from STA, acknowledging her achievements in STEAM-related activities. Learn more about STA's multi-year STEAM certification process and requirements.

Excellence in Education Award for STA's Dr. Mandi Sonnenberg

This summer, Dr. Mandi Sonnenberg, STA Director of STEAM Projects and Education, earned the Global Forum for Education and Learning (GFEL) Excellence in Education Award. GFEL explores ways technology can reshape the way people learn and share knowledge to create educational innovations. Nominees were judged on overall reach, industry impact, the spirit of innovation, future-readiness and market demand.

Required attendance for parents/guardians of freshmen and transfer students

Parents of freshmen and transfer students, please plan to attend one of the follow required sessions listed below. These sessions are designed to assist parents and guardians with conversations with their daughters regarding the use of digital devices.

What is digital citizenship?

• Best practices for using the internet and technology safely, respectfully and responsibly
• Techniques and strategies for responsible use of social media and technology
• The ability to think critically and discern what is positive to share online and what should be kept private
• How to protect private information, respect one's self and others, stay safe online, give proper credit when using someone else's work, and balancing time spent online and offline

Dates:

• Tuesday, August 17, 6-7 p.m., M&A Auditorium; or
• Monday, August 30, 6-7 p.m., Remote/Zoom

Want to work in a welcoming, energizing environment?

Look no further! STA is seeking qualified professionals in a several areas including food service, athletics and operations/custodial. We also have opportunities for substitute teachers!

Smart Tuition is changing its name to Blackbaud Tuition Management. Please be aware of the following:

• June, July and August tuition payments must be submitted before a student can start the school year
• If you have not yet set up your tuition account, contact Cheryl Givens (cgivens@stteresasacademy.org) immediately

It is extremely important to pay tuition in a timely manner. Delinquent accounts will result in:

• A late fee of $30 applied to your account for each delinquent payment
• The student's Blackbaud account being disabled
• The student will not be able to attend classes
• The student will not be allowed to return second semester if the first semester's account is delinquent
• The student will not be allowed to re-enroll for the upcoming school year
• Administration may revoke the student's participation in school-sponsored activities, events, sports, retreats, etc.

Tuition payments should be submitted directly online through Blackbaud Tuition Management. You may also pay online by calling 888-868-8828.

Incidental fees (sports, fees, banquets, etc.) may be billed to your Blackbaud account throughout the year, so it's important to review your account monthly.

As mentioned in a previous communication, STA is transitioning its food vendor from Bistro Lunch to Taher Inc. Families who have previously deposited funds into their Bistro account will receive a credit in their Smart Tuition/Blackbaud account for September. Families receiving lunch assistance from STA will see those amounts credited to their new Taher lunch account.

Please contact Kathy Rohr (krohr@stteresasacademy.org), Director of Finance, with any questions.

STA is excited to continue offering behavioral telehealth to STA students and families during the 2021-22 school year. Dr. Shelley Cooper of Diversity Telehealth will provide these valuable services.

Beginning August 25, Dr. Cooper will be available on campus (M&A Building, Room M210) every other Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. for questions and tech support. She will also be available on Zoom every Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. You may also reach her by email (scooper@diversitytelehealth.com) and phone at 913-710-3818.

Parents of freshmen and transfer students, please watch your email for a description of these services.

Inspiring student agency is what we do best at the Academy. Empowering your daughters to engage effectively with their studies requires them to develop relevant academic literacy practices and skills, including: thinking and writing critically; managing information effectively; advocating for themselves; seeking out resources; working collaboratively; and learning independently.

Academic Achievement Center

STA's Academic Achievement Center is an integral part of the campus community, interacting with faculty, staff and students to provide a range of services designed to meet individual needs. The Center's primary goal is to assist students referred by teachers and counselors to become more independent, efficient and effective learners, improve their academic skills and aid in their academic success. The Center is located on the second floor of the Donnelly Building in Room D203.

Seminars

A seminar is a form of academic instruction that is a non-credit course with mandatory attendance. It brings together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on a particular subject or topic in which everyone present is expected to participate. All grades have a seminar course on their schedule.

• Freshman Seminar meets weekly all year long and has a designated academic resource teacher creating and implementing curriculum
• Sophomore, Junior and Senior Seminars are held throughout the year pending programming and student needs

Freshman and transfer students will be working with Kiera Hardy, academic resource teacher. She also will schedule 1-to-1 and small-group sessions with freshmen and transfer students as needed.

PowerSchool -- STA's web-based student information system -- will be available for login as of Monday, August 2. Schedules will not be mailed to your home.

All changes to both first and second semester schedules must be submitted by 3 p.m. Thursday, August 5.

Use this form to request changes.

You may need to file more than one form if dropping or adding more than one course.

Students in grades 9-11 must take a total of seven courses each semester. Seniors with three or more College AP courses may choose to take six courses each semester.

There is a $50 fee to request a schedule change. This will be billed to your account after changes have been made.

At the end of the form, please add any comments necessary in assisting us in filling your requests. Keep in mind, some courses require prior authorization from teachers and have prerequisites.

The College Board exam registration process and payment will take place in September. Students will register for their exam(s) online in their AP course and, based on student registration, families will be billed $95 per exam through Smart Tuition/Blackbaud. Exams will not be ordered unless payment is received. There will be NO exam refunds or exam cancelations and NO late registrations.

AP exams will take place at STA on national test dates and times from May 2-13. Specific exam dates and times are listed here.

Applications will be available November 15, 2021 and must be submitted by December 1, 2021.

NHS Requirements:

• Junior or senior
• 93.0 or higher cumulative GPA as of June and of the current year (this GPA must be maintained for continued membership)
• Essays - Topics on application
• Character - Review of SBR history
• Leadership - Evidence of involvement and leadership in the STA and KC communities
• Service - A minimum of 15 hours of service to the STA community and a minimum of 15 hours of service to the Kansas City community. Service must be completed between March 15, 2021, and the application deadline. Service is an annual requirement for membership and must be performed at a non-profit school, agency or organization. STA hours may be fulfilled by assisting teachers, working on development or recruitment activities, summer athletic camps, etc. Hours must not be affiliated with a class or STA scholarship. Service hours required for graduation may not be applied to the NHS requirement. Students are responsible for finding their own service opportunities.

Please contact Abigail Jelavich (ajelavich@stteresasacademy.org) with questions.

College Application Kickoff Night - Seniors

• Wednesday, August 18
• 7-8:30 p.m.
• STA, M&A Auditorium
• Seniors are required to attend, and a parent is strongly encouraged!

Catholic College Day at STA - Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors

• Tuesday, September 7
• Midday
• STA, Goppert Center
• More than 20 Catholic colleges and universities will be represented. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are encouraged to attend.

College Planning Night - Juniors

• Wednesday, September 8
• 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• Rockhurst High School, Rose Theater
• Juniors and their parents are encouraged to attend this joint program between STA, Sion and Rockhurst. Informational sessions include ACT/SAT/test-optional admissions, financial aid and scholarships, highly selective admissions, essays and resumes, honors programs, college athletics, parents' roles and advice, college visits, visual and performing arts, and much more.

Kansas City Private High Schools' College Night - Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors

• Thursday, September 9
• 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• Rockhurst High School, Gymnasiums
• More than 100 colleges will be in attendance. This is an excellent opportunity for sophomores, juniors seniors and their families. A complete list of colleges attending will be emailed to families in late August.

Parents, students and your families are invited to celebrate Mass in the Chapel of St. Joseph in Windmoor Center on the following dates. Mass times are from 7:30-8:05 a.m. unless indicated otherwise.* Stay afterward for coffee and bagels!

Get ready for an exciting athletics season at STA! Tryouts for Cross Country, Golf, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball begin August 9.

All health physical forms must be completed and submitted online by Friday, August 6 in order to participate in tryouts.

See additional information about requirements, testing and tryouts.

Kick off the 2021 STA Strong Auction with a chance to win four tickets to the Garth Brooks concert Saturday, August 7 at 7 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium!

Tickets are Section 121 (lower level), Row 3, seats 3-6. A great opportunity to see Garth up close!

• Raffle tickets are $100 each or 3 for $250
• Raffle ticket purchase deadline is Tuesday, August 3 at noon
• Drawing is Tuesday, August 3 at 2 p.m.

Mark your calendars for Friday, November 19 to attend this year's auction. Until then, there are a lot of ways you can help make STA's signature fundraiser a success!

Volunteer

Connect with other parents as a volunteer on one of the following committees: Silent Auction, Underwriting and Sponsorship, Live Auction, Event.

Donate Auction Items

There are several ways to donate items for auction. Donations are due by November 1, 2021.

• Provide a gift or gift certificate directly to STA. Fill out this form with your information. You can deliver to STA, or someone will pick the item up from you.
• Purchase an item from STA's Amazon Wish List. The gift will be sent directly to STA, with a receipt to you.

ScoreVision, the new, all-digital scoreboard platform at STA, infuses high-impact advertising into the fan experience. ScoreVision advertising provides a unique opportunity for you to reach an attractive demographic while investing in the school and STA students.

All ads will run for the 2021-22 volleyball and basketball seasons, plus additional exposure on the Fan App for 2021-22 soccer and lacrosse seasons. Choose from various sponsorship packages ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

Act before August 13 to take full advantage of STA's fall athletics season. Contact Barbara Cusick (bcusick@stteresasacademy.org or 816-501-0031) to secure your spot. Find additional information here.

Support STA -- at no cost to you -- every time you shop using AmazonSmile.

Simply use smile.amazon.com the next time you shop, and select St. Teresa's Academy as your designated charitable organization (you'll only need to do this once). You'll fine the exact same offers, prices and shopping experience, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of your spending to STA every time you shop!

The STA Star Shop is ready for back-to-school, with new items arriving through August. Stop by to check out the latest in spirit wear and accessories! The Star Shop is also your go-to-source for uniform items throughout the year.

Want to get involved on campus? Opportunities are available to staff the shop after school Mondays-Thursdays, during home games and at other times throughout the school year. Contact Kristen Walker (kwalker@stteresasacademy.org) to volunteer.

Follow us on Instagram to see the latest in Star gear!