Greetings, Rebel Families:
Here we are on the last day of April and before we know we'll be at the end of another school year. Thank you to all the families who joined us last night at our "State of the Rebels" and Rebel Parent Group meeting. As Mr. McCollum stated last night, this St. Thomas More community really is something special and we thank you for being a part of it.
April has been a busy and joyful time on campus, filled with learning, laughter and many faith-filled moments. From classroom projects, field trips and Lenten reflections to outdoor play and signs of new life all around us, our Rebels continue to "Know, Love and Serve God" daily.
In this month's Roundup, you'll find:
- April Saint: Kateri Tekakwitha
- Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Theresa Groshoff
- Science Spotlight: STM Weather Station
- Around Campus
- May Crowning
- Teacher Appreciation Week
- Mother Son Bingo
- Upcoming Dates and Events
As always, we thank you for your continued support and partnership in helping our students grow in mind, body and spirit.
April Saint
During the month of April our students have been learning about Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. Kateri is the first Native American saint from the territories of the future United States and Canada, she is popularly venerated as a patroness of ecology. She is known for her deep faith and holiness, her strong devotion to the Catholic Church and her willingness to embrace the Catholic faith even in the face of opposition from her own community.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks, pray for us!
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Theresa Groshoff
This month's "Teacher Spotlight" is STM's P.E. and Art teacher. Read on to learn more about Mrs. Groshoff!
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself? How long have you been teaching at STM?
A: I have been at STM for eighteen years. All five of my children (3 sons and 2 daughters) went to school here. I was so fortunate to be able to see them every day while at school!
Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching both art and PE?
A: I truly have the best of both worlds with my job at STM! In P.E., I get to interact with the children in a fun and playful manner...enjoying their laughter and smiles!
In art, I am able to encourage the children to express themselves with their creativity, always reminding them that they are artists! God is the greatest creator/artist, and you were made in the image and likeness of God, therefore, you too, can create!
In art, I am able to encourage the children to express themselves with their creativity, always reminding them that they are artists! God is the greatest creator/artist, and you were made in the image and likeness of God, therefore, you too, can create!
Q: What is something your students might not know about you that would surprise them?
A: Something that might surprise the children is that I originally wanted to be a nun...Maria von Trapp from the Sound of Music type of nun...Ha, Ha, Ha! However, I always wanted a large family, so God had other plans.
Q: What is your favorite book and/or author?
A: My favorite book is This House of Sky by Ian Doig.
Q: If you're stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring (besides your family, which obviously is more than three!)?
A: If I were stranded on a deserted island I would bring all of Ivan Doig's novels, a deck of cards, and a fishing net.
Q: When not in the classroom, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
A: In my spare time I enjoy spending it with family camping, backpacking, and fishing in Montana. I also enjoy walking...any activity that involves being outside in nature.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote, verse or mantra?
A: My favorite quote of mine is from my mom: "The Art of Creation is the visible face of God."
I am so blessed to be able to be at Saint Thomas More where I am able to live out my faith by trying to be an effective sign of Christ.
Thank you, Mrs. G! Our school is so lucky to have you!
Science Spotlight: STM Weather Station
Written by Valerie Barnes, C+STEM Director and Teacher
Did you get wind about our weather station? You may have noticed those anemometer cups spinning away in the garden and we are turning up the heat in our weather unit with the help of our weather station. The St. Thomas More weather station continuously tracks temperatures, rainfall, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, humidity, and so much more! This data is important for the success of the garden, the care of fish and plants in the aquaponics environment and, first and foremost, student safety during recess and outdoor events.
Monitoring and tracking weather patterns using an active weather station gives students first hand experience with real-time data and the relationship between natural science and technology. While all grade levels learn about weather and track our local data, the 3rd and 4th grade classes have the opportunity to prepare and produce podcasts. Each student records a weather fact or writes commentary to share during the podcast. These budding meteorologists are eager to add bible quotes, weather related jokes and classical music pieces to each podcast, giving the gathered data a personal touch.
It’s sun-believable that we can get information from our own station and we are feeling right as rain with our progress.
Wouldn’t it be cool to have this up-to-date weather information at your fingertips and know what kind of weather really happens on our playground? To share this with friends and family, near and far? Well, you can! Throw caution to the wind and download the Davis Instruments WeatherLink App app today. The call sign for our weather station is STMweather99208.
Keep cool and stay safe!
Around Campus
Spring has definitely sprung on the STM campus! Things have been fun and full! Read on to see what your students have been up to over the last month.
PE Teacher for the Day
At the end of March, we had a new PE Teacher for the day, Ms. Zoe Gomez! Together with Mrs. Groshoff (and sporting her new personalized whistle), Zoe helped lead all PE classes and also got to enjoy a special lunch with Mrs. G and two of her friends. Such a fun and special day!
The “PE Teacher for a Day” was a new package at last month’s auction and was a huge hit! We have a feeling it’ll be added to the list for next year’s event!
Recess Fun
Our young Rebels have been enjoying the warmer weather and sunshine this past month. New basketballs and footballs were recently added to "shed" much to the excitement of our sports-enthusiasts!
Food Drive
As part of their community service, STM 7th graders led the school's Food Drive for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. They collected an incredible amount of non-perishable food. Thank you to all the school families who generously contributed to this effort!
Prep Pep Band Visit
The Gonzaga Prep Pep Band made a recent visit to school to give a special performance to our students. Such a fun experience for our school!
8th Grade Play
Congratulations to our 8th grade class and their recent successful performance of their play "The Goon Show." This beloved STM 8th grade tradition is such a fun one and the students did such a great job!
"Tree of Life" Project
Several weeks ago our 4th graders presented their “Tree of Life” religion project in their religion class with Ms. Millersmith. The project focused on personal growth during Lent, knowing it’s a time to pause, remember what we are grateful for and adjust our lives to become closer to Jesus. Each student’s 3D tree included three main parts: roots, tree trunk and branches with various components showing their faith journeys.
Holy Week
Our students participated in a number of Lenten and Holy Week Services, including Living Stations of the Cross led by 5th grade, a field trip to Holy Cross Cemetery and Washing of the Feet led by 8th grade.
Principal for Day
Last Friday, our very own Charlie served as the acting principal for a day! All students enjoyed wearing pajamas and the extra time spent at recess. Charlie and several friends enjoyed game play after school at Chaos Arcade.
May Crowning and Grandparents Tea
We hope you can join us tomorrow, Thursday, May 1st, for our annual May Crowning and Grandparents Tea! School Mass will be at 8:45am followed by the May Crowning in the Marian Garden. Students are encouraged to bring flowers or a small bouquet to place at the Blessed Mary Statue.
Grandparents or family members / special persons are invited to join for a Grandparents Tea following the May Crowning Ceremony in the PACC. Students can join their classmates at 10:15am for morning recess (or stay with their families in the PACC), but all students must be back in their classrooms by 10:30am.
Teacher Appreciation Week
Our school's Rebel Parent Group has been hard at work planning special ways to honor our teachers next week. Please join us in celebrating our teaching staff by signing up to help or contribute for the week's events! Click HERE to sign up.
Mother Son Bingo
Our Mother Son Bingo event is a only few short weeks away! We encourage STM moms (and/or grandmas!) to come with their son(s) and dressed in their favorite gamer costume or sports uniform.
Pizza, snacks, and beverages will be provided. The Knights of Columbus will host several games of Bingo, and you could win some exciting prizes!
Upcoming School and Community Events
- May 1 : May Crowning Mass and Grandparent's Tea, 8:45am
- May 1 : Kindergarten Roundup, 5:30-6:30pm
- May 1 : 8th Grade Washington DC Meeting, 6:30-7:30pm
- May 4 : First Communion and Confirmation for STM Second Grade, 2:00pm
- May 5-9 : Teacher Appreciation Week
- May 13 : 7th Grade Visits Gonzaga Prep
- May 16 : Banks Classic
- May 16 : Mother Son Bingo, 5:30-8:00pm
- May 1 : May Crowning Mass & Grandparents Reception
Instagram: @stmspokane
Facebook: St. Thomas More School Spokane
School Website: www.thomasmorespokane.org
Comments, feedback or suggestions? Email Kathryn Bradley at kbradley@thomasmorespokane.org
