Living Rosary – Wednesday, October 18th at 2:15PM

On Wednesday, October 18th, we will have our weekly all school Mass at 8:15AM in the Church, and then all students will return to the Church for our annual tradition of the Living Rosary at 2:15PM. Mass dress attire is required for this day, just like other weekly Mass days. We invite parents to attend the Living Rosary in the afternoon and participate in praying the Rosary with the school community. The Living Rosary will last approximately 30 minutes and end around 2:45PM (or later). At that time, all students will return to their classrooms and go through their regular end of the school day and carpool dismissal process. Please note, parents will not take their children at the end of the Living Rosary, but instead go back to their cars and go through carpool.

Family Learning

Student-Led Celebration of Learning Conferences

We are excited for our Student-Led Celebration of Learning Conferences on Friday, October 27th. There is no school but your student(s) are required to attend the conference with you as they have been preparing to share their growth as a learner during the first quarter of school. Just a reminder that the Student-Led Celebrations of Learning are a time for students to share their learning and celebrate their growth as a learner. If you need to discuss specific concerns or sensitive issues, we ask that you schedule a separate parent conference with your child’s teacher(s).  Please click here to read a letter from Mr. Matthews with more information regarding the conferences.

NWEA MAP Growth Assessment 

Beginning of Year Assessment Result Going Home

As previously communicated, we administered the NWEA MAP Growth assessment to your child (Kinder through 8th grade) to measure growth. You will be receiving the Family Growth Report for your child on Monday, October 16. Be sure to check your child’s backpack for this valuable report; if you would like more information, click here for the Family Guide to the NWEA MAP Growth Assessments.   

Learning Commons Literacy Corner

Please click here for our weekly Learning Commons Literacy Corner updates including the quote of the week, vocabulary word of the week, and the high frequency words of the week.

Social Media Guidance – Possible Violent Content 

As you may have heard reported in many news outlets late this week, there is credible concern of an inclement threat of the terrorist group Hamas posting / live-streaming / spamming torture and execution videos to social media platforms including but not limited to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter). It is recommended that if your child currently uses these apps, that you delete and/or suspend your child’s access to them for the next several weeks. 

Field Day

We are excited to have our first ever fall semester Field Day – coming up on Friday, November 10th! 

Field Day is an annual St. Cecilia Catholic School tradition, where students participate in class field games, carnival rides & games, and most importantly fellowship together as a community. Field Day this year will take place on Friday, November 10th, 2023. Please click here for a Field Day FAQ document with additional details about the event.

Every student can participate in the excitement of Field Day. The festivities include:

• Morning field games with their grade level
• A boxed lunch for each student
• A 20oz. Field Day water bottle for each student
• Afternoon Games – access to all the inflatables, rides/games, silly string and one slushy drink per student

To help offset the cost of Field Day, HSA is asking parents to contribute a “Flat Fee” per student – though this is not required. In addition to what is listed above, families who contribute by paying the Flat Fee will receive the following:

• 1 Field Day t-shirt for each of their student(s)
• 5 Prize Room Tickets (a $5 value)

Additionally, adult Field Day t-shirts will be available for sale, separate from the flat fee. 

The deadline to purchase the Flat Fee / t-shirts is 12:00PM (noon) on Wednesday, October 18th. 

Technology & The Developing Brain – October 23rd

Dr. Crystal Collier will be doing the second phase of the "Technology & The Developing Brain" talking with our students on Monday, October 23rd. She will be speaking at 8:00AM to 6th - 8th Grades, and at 9:00AM with 4th & 5th Grades. She'll discuss brain-based parenting and the application of screen time guidelines. More information can be found on this flyer.

Astros Spirit Wear

Students can wear Astros tops or t-shirts while the Astros are in the post season / playoffs each week on Fridays instead of Spirit Day.

October HSA Meeting Recording

On Tuesday, October 10th, HSA had their October monthly meeting. You can view a recording of that meeting here. 

Yearbook Photos

Freeman Photography will email parents the direct link to the proof of your child’s photos, taken last Wednesday (October 4th). From there, you can order pictures to be delivered to school and then sent home. The make-up Yearbook Picture day is on Wednesday, October 25th.

Red Ribbon Week – October 23rd – 27th 

We will celebrate National Red Ribbon Week the week of October 23rd. This is a time we reflect and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle for ourselves and our children. Our students will be participating in dress up days during the school week to signify their commitment to making the choice to be healthy and live drug free. As we lead our community in making this commitment, let us keep the children worldwide in our thoughts and prayers. School uniforms can always be worn instead of doing the dress up days listed out below. 

Monday, October 23rd - Follow Your Dreams

Dress in PJ Bottoms and T-Shirts (must wear athletic shoes with PJ’s) 

Tuesday, October 24th - Team Up Against Drugs

Wear your favorite team gear with jeans or uniform bottoms

Wednesday, October 25th - Sock It To Drugs

Wear Mass uniform with crazy socks

Thursday, October 26th - Every Day is A Holiday When You're Drug Free

Wear clothing celebrating Any Holiday with jeans or uniform bottoms

Friday, October 27th - Celebrations of Learning Conferences (No School)

School uniforms can always be worn instead of dressing up.

Grandparent and Grandfriends Day

The St. Cecilia Catholic School annual Grandparents and Grandfriends Day will occur on Friday, November 17th, from 12:30PM to 2:30PM. Click here to find the full schedule of the events for the day and online registration. 

The invitations are currently being printed and mailed. In the interim, please either send the information and registration link to your child’s Grandparent or Grandfriend now so they can register online, or you can complete the registration for them.  

Please note that if a grandparent cannot attend, a “Grandfriend” (i.e. an aunt, uncle, or family friend) is welcome to attend in their place. We kindly ask that parents and siblings not attend as the Grandfriend. If a Grandparent or Grandfriend needs assistance, we understand that accompaniment may be necessary by parents.

Morning Carpool Safety Patrol

Students in 6th-8th grade will have an opportunity to apply to be part of our St. Cecilia Safety Patrol for the Fall Semester! They will help with opening vehicle doors at the Community Center carpool in the mornings and assist younger students as they arrive at school.

Qualifications:

• Students must demonstrate responsibility in the classroom with managing their own behavior independently, completing classwork and homework assignments and are able to interact with peers and adults appropriately
• Students must be able to arrive to school by 7:25 am on days they plan to volunteer
• Volunteer hours will be able to be counted for NJHS

Please return this form to Ms. Mejia to be considered for Safety Patrol. For questions, please email Ms. Mejia.

Auction Sign Up Party – October 29th – “Boo-zy Yoga”

While our official Auction 2024 announcement is coming very soon – we are already getting started with Sign Up Parties! Here is information on our first one of the year:

Did you know St. Ignatius guided his students through yogi-like meditations? The question is… did he serve mimosas and cold brew on the side? We survived back to school, so let’s celebrate with boozy yoga! Mingle with your fellow SCCS ghoul parents (this is a kid-free event!), while learning top tips on how to stretch and stay healthy for the rest of the school year. Enjoy brunch-y cocktails, coffee care of Minuti Coffee, nibbles, and lots of door prizes, including for best costume accessory! And dads… we want to see you there too! This is a co-ed event. “We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one. Our one goal is the freedom to make a wholehearted choice to follow God.” - St. Ignatius of Loyola

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Fast Results Fitness, 3:00-5:00 PM

50 Adult Spots Available

$40 Per Person

Please click here to register

Hosts: Fast Results Fitness / Johnathan Caprille, Grendys Garcia, Jennifer and Hunter Petree

Halloween (October 31st) and All Saints Day (November 1st)

On Tuesday, October 31st students are allowed to wear their Halloween costumes to school. If they do not want to wear their costume, they may also wear a Halloween shirt with jeans/uniform bottoms, or their regular school uniform. Restrictions: school-appropriate costumes, no inflatable costumes, nothing overly scary (keep early childhood students in mind), no face paint, no makeup, no hair paint.

On Wednesday, November 1st for All Saints Day Mass - students may come dressed as their favorite Saint for All Saints Day (or wear Mass attire).

2023 Christmas Card Design Contest

It’s time to design this year’s Christmas card for St. Cecilia Catholic School and EVERY student is eligible to submit an entry. Please click here for the required Design Template.

Important design guideline information:

1. Must be a religious theme.
2. Must include the words: St. Cecilia Catholic School (please do not abbreviate the school’s name as SCCS).
3. Design layout can be horizontal or vertical.
4. Design must be submitted on the required design template.
5. Design must be uploaded to this online form. 

The Entry Deadline is Monday, November 6, 2023. Please scan, save as a .pdf, and submit your student’s design entry using this online form to upload the design.

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Art Competition

It’s time to kick off the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Art Competition! If your child would like to participate, please read the information below thoroughly.

Important information to note:

• Participation: Prek- 8th grade
• Rodeo theme: Western Art- art that depicts the heritage, lifestyle, and landscapes of the West.
• 2D surface only:
• Colored drawing (colored pencil, pastels, crayon, chalk, charcoal)
• Mixed Media: mixture of two or more materials (ex: crayon with watercolor)
• Monochromatic: one hue with the addition of white and black
• Paint: watercolor, acrylic, tempera
• Dimensions of paper- Min 8.5x11 Max 15x21 
• NO second surface (collage, gluing, cutting will be disqualified)
• NO slogans, trademarks
• Labeled on the back of art in pencil:
• First/last name, homeroom, title, mediums used (Please be creative when choosing a title)
• Mrs. Poche will matt and tag all qualifying pieces.
• All art is due to Mrs. Poche by November 3, 2023
• Click here for more information.

Halloween Cookie Decorating Parties with Mrs. Drake

Get into the spooky spirit with cookie decorating! We’ll have cookies to decorate with plenty of icing and sprinkles! Mrs. Drake will share some fun decorating ideas, then the kids can have fun making their own creations. Kids can take home their cookies (or eat them as they go!) 

Students can be picked up from Mrs. Drake’s room or will be escorted to Bridges for after-school care. *Cookies contain flour, eggs, diary, and almond extract*

PK3 - 1st Graders

Monday 10/23 and Tuesday 10/24 (2 options for a one-day class)

3:45-4:15 in Mrs. Drake’s room

$25/student

2nd-8th Graders

Wednesday 10/25 or Thursday 10/26 (2 options for a one-day class)

3:45-4:30 in Mrs. Drake’s Room

$30/student

Please click here to register.

St. Cecilia Parish Basketball

Parish Basketball registration for Kindergarten through 5th grade is now open until November 15th.

Instructions for Registering Players:

• Parents should register players using the link provided above.
• Please note: on the “Player Page” of the registration form, include a statement in the “Special Instructions” field "that this is a St. Cecilia Catholic School player who wants to be on a St. Cecilia team."
• On the “Player Page” of the registration form, enter the “Grade” as the grade level of the player’s preferred team. If the player’s school grade is different, then provide the school grade and a (very) brief explanation in the “Special Instructions” field. (Players are not allowed to play down without special permission from the TKB Executive Director.)

Coach Registration:

• All coaches must register for the purposes of authorizing background checks, confirming Code of Ethics agreement, and providing contact information.
• Instruct HCs to register as soon as possible (so a team number can be promptly assigned) and to confirm their affiliation with “Tallowood” when prompted during the registration process.
• Assistant Coaches (enlisted by the HC) should register as soon as their HC provides them with a team number (and not before).
• Detailed instructions and coach registration links: COACHES | Kingdom Basketball.

Please go to our Parish Sports page on the website for more information and to register.

Fall Math+ at Strake Jesuit

Math+ is a six-session course that is taught at Strake Jesuit. Classes are on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 6:00PM starting on Tuesday, October 10th and ending on November 14th. The course costs $250. This Fall’s course will focus on Probability, a mathematical concept that has both practical relevance and important mathematical applications. Click here for more information and to register.