April 22, 2021
Important updates in this week's Tidbits:

Science Showcase
Campus Cleanup
Summer Basketball Camp
APPLY NOW for Income-Based Scholarships

Like and share on Facebook and Instagram
Principal's Points
Good Afternoon St. Stephen Families,

Happy Earth Day! Today was an exciting day as we watched 6th and 7th graders present their science fair projects IN THE ANGEL'S WING. Our roofers are working to get the building ready for students. All the interior work is complete and once the roof is finished and approved, we will start moving back into the building. Tomorrow we will have the opportunity to showcase work from many of our students in the Family Life Center. Scroll through Tidbits for details on this and all the upcoming events.

Peace and Blessings,

Linda Umoh
Upcoming Events
April 23 - Marvelous Mustang
April 23 - Science Fair
April 24 - Campus Cleanup
April 30 - Jean Day
May 3rd - 7th - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 8-9 - Uniform/Holy Card Weekend
May 10 - Holy Card Free Dress Day

For all event details please see SSCS Event Descriptions
Online Game Night this Sunday
Join in for an online game night THIS Sunday, April 25, at 7 PM to celebrate and support Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl.

This event is for all ages and multiple people from the same household can play, either together as a team or individually. To play, you will need a device to join the Zoom and see the questions. Each team/individual who will be playing will also need a personal device in order to answer the questions.

The highest-scoring player will win a Fair Trade gift basket that includes a handmade basket, a bag of organic coffee, and three types of chocolate Easter eggs!

Time to Apply for Step Up and
Family Empowerment Scholarships
New families may APPLY NOW for an Income-Based Scholarship for the 2021-22 school year
 
New families may now apply through Step Up For Students for an income-based scholarship (either the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship or the Family Empowerment Scholarship) for the 2021-22 school year. Apply as soon as possible as funding is limited.
 
Upon review of a family’s application and supporting documents, Step Up For Students will determine if the student qualifies for either the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship or the Family Empowerment Scholarship.
 
IMPORTANT: Please be aware that in order for a student to be eligible for a full scholarship, applications and any required supporting documentation MUST be submitted by June 1, 2021Applications submitted after June 1 may be eligible for a partial scholarship. (This is much earlier than previous years.) Also, please remember that Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) families must complete a renewal application this year with Step Up For Students. This is also different than previous years. 
 
Please keep in mind:
  • Step Up For Students is required by law to give priority to lower-income families. However, families of higher income may also be eligible and are encouraged to apply.
  • Note: If a family’s income is found to be over 260% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, the student is not eligible for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship but may be eligible for the Family Empowerment Scholarship.
  • All students applying for a Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) and parents on application MUST include a valid Social Security Number to be eligible.
Helpful Information:
  • We strongly recommend families use Google Chrome as their browser when applying or navigating their Step Up For Students account.
  • Schools MAY NOT ask for or require, a parent to provide their username or password in order to access the student’s scholarship account. 
  • Parents can upload documents immediately to their online application. They can also submit required documents via fax.

For questions, please contact us via email at enrollment@stepupforstudents.org, or call our Service Center at 877-735-7837, Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.

GARDINER SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING IS LIMITED
Gardiner's renewal date comes earlier this year.

As a reminder, Renewal families (those who received 2020-21 Gardiner Scholarship funding) may apply now through Step Up For Students for a Gardiner Scholarship for the 2021-22 school year.
 
RENEWAL students will have funding priority until NEXT FRIDAY (April 30, 2021). This date is earlier this year than in the past. If funding is not available at the time an award determination is made, the student may be placed on the waitlist.
 
After April 30, 2021, depending on available funding, applications are processed in this order:
1) Students who were on the 2020-21 Gardiner Scholarship waitlist.
2) New and renewal students in the order they are determined eligible.

Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Within the above priority groups, students will be awarded based on the date and time eligibility was determined. If funding is not available at the time an award determination is made, the student may be placed on the waitlist. For questions, you may contact Gardiner via email at gardinerpayments@sufs.org or call the Service Center at 877-735-7837, Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.
Summer Basketball Camp
Join Coach Green for our annual summer basketball camp the week of July 19-23, from 9:00am-3:00pm. Campers who register before noon on Thursday, June 24th will receive a camp t-shirt with registration. See the attached document for camp details and sign up using the link below.

MUSTANG SPORTS:
The girl's flag football team has split their last two games. The Mustangs beat St Lawrence, 7-0. The touchdown was scored by Vivian G on a 30-yard run. Haley A had two interceptions to lead the defensive shutout. The girls lost to Corpus Christi, 7-0. The Mustangs are back on the field today against local rival Nativity, at Nativity at 4:00. The playoffs start next week with the opponent and site to be determined.    

The boy's flag football team has lost their past two games. They lost to St Lawrence, 21-6 with the Mustang touchdown coming on a running back pass from Nicholas H to John S. The boys lost to Christ the King, 35-0 to wrap up the regular season. The playoffs start next week with the Mustangs playing Christ the King on Tuesday or Wednesday.  

Coach Green is hosting St Stephen Basketball Camp from July 19-23. It will be the 6th summer of basketball camp in the FLC. Please see the camp flyer and registration info above. Camp is 9:00-3:00 each day and costs $150 for the week. The camp fee includes a camp t-shirt. Students and parishioners in 3rd-8th grade for the 2021-22 school year are eligible to attend. 

GO MUSTANGS
Coach Green   
SSCS Presents: The Garden Initiative!

The SSCS student council is proud to introduce our new Garden Initiative to the school community! The goal of this project is to set up two new gardens on the school campus: one in front of the flagpole and one in front of the announcement sign at the entrance to our school. The student council is asking each class to provide one plant for the garden to make this a school-wide effort. Parents, make sure to check with your child’s teacher for their plans to collect the plant assigned to them. These plants are due Friday, April 23rd. Thank you for your participation
and help in Caring for Creation!
CAMPUS CLEANUP
Mustang parents, on April 24th, 2021, there will be a schoolwide campus cleanup. This is a great time for students to come help beautify the school campus and get out into the fresh air. This also reflects off of our theme of Care For Creation and shows your support for the school. If your child is in grades K-4 please come at 9AM. The event will last from 9AM- 10:30AM. After, grades 5-8 will come from 10:45AM-12:15PM. Please bring gloves and tools for cleanup. Masks must be worn throughout the cleanup. Hope to see you there! 

When visiting the Science Fair
on April 23rd from
8:30 AM to 10:30 AM,
please also visit the Angels Wing Breezway to enjoy the
"Animal Museum" presented
by the First Grade Class.
Both events will be on
FACEBOOK LIVE!
UNIFORM CLOSET UPDATE
Did you know we have a Uniform Closet where parents can trade or purchase gently used uniforms at a substantial discount versus buying new? We encourage all families to take advantage of upcycling those uniforms as it is friendly for the environment and your wallet! We are always accepting gently used uniforms and they can be dropped off at the front office during school hours.

Please note effective May 1, 2021, there will be a change in the pricing for gently used uniforms. As always you may trade one item for another at no charge. However, effective May 1, 2021, all uniform items other than PE uniforms (i.e. pants, skirts, polos, jackets, jumpers, etc.) will now be sold for $5 per item. PE shorts and T-shirts will remain at $2 per item. We appreciate your continued support of the PTCO Uniform Closet.
Mrs. Stencel's ESE Blog

This month's topic:
Autism Awareness Month

SSCC Men's Club Supports Our Students
LAST CHANCE TO BUY GIFT CARDS
DEADLINE 5/1/21

Thank you to the Men's Club and all
who supported the Honey Baked Ham Campaign.

Gift cards can be purchased through 5/1.



MARK
YOUR
CALENDARS!!!



Come join us for BINGO, sponsored by the Community for Women.

Where: St. Stephen FLC

When: May 25th

We play at 6:30 pm, doors open at 5:30 pm.

20 games of play for $15. Additional games are available for purchase. All CASH prizes!! Concessions will be available for purchase before play and during the break. Covid precautions will be in place.

SUPPORT THE NEXT 20 YEARS OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION AT ST. STEPHEN CATHOLIC SCHOOL
With your support, SSCS will continue pursuing excellence in Catholic School Education, focusing on faith, academics, and service in a caring, spiritual and safe learning environment. 

Our school families, parishioners, and community members play an integral part in the future of our school. Your donation is needed to improve and grow our school community. Plans for the future of SSCS are in the developmental stages, with the immediate priority of replacing our 20-year-old roof. As part of our school family, we will continue to make you aware of the improvements and plans for our school’s future. Thank you for being part of our first twenty years, and we look forward to your support as we move into a bright new beginning, our next twenty!

Please download and print the donation card and send it in with your donation. All donations are important to the success of our campaign and are greatly appreciated.

We have also established an endowment fund for SSCS and will gladly provide additional information upon request.
REALTORS NEEDED
Help Us Spread the Word About SSCS!

If you are a realtor or have a family member or friend who is a realtor, SSCS can use your help. We need your help in reaching new families moving into our area. If you can help us spread the word about our amazing school, please call Nicki Gallagher in the school office.
Important FLP Procedures
If you think you may need to quarantine your child at home, our FLP program is there for you. The Flexible Learning Plan (FLP) is available for students who must stay home for Covid-19-related issues. To get your child started on FLP, it is critical that you contact the school office to get the process started.

Contact the front office by phone (813-741-9203) or Mrs. Robles by email directly at grobles@sscsfl.org for more information. Remember, teachers cannot approve a student to use the Flexible Learning Plan. All requests must go through the front office. Thank you!

Like Us on Facebook and
Follow Us on Instagram
Please like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. When you see a post, like it, comment on it, and share the post. Ask others to share with their friends. This will help us get the word out to those who may not know about our school.
or search sscsmustangs
or search @sscsfl
PTCO UPDATE

Please read below for easy ways to earn funds for our school.
Birthday Free Dress Pass
We are offering for the 2020/2021 school year the birthday free dress pass. The pass is $5, allowing your student to have free dress one day during the month of their birth. For those with a Summer birthday, the pass may be used in May. If you would like to take advantage of this, please purchase these passes at the front office.
Box Tops for Education

Box Tops for Education has gone almost all paperless. See directions below on how to download the app and start earning money for our school. It takes less than a minute to download the app and set up an account. Once your account is set up and linked to our school, it is easy and fast to scan your receipts and start earning money for the school. Some products still have the box tops on the packaging that you may cut out, save, and send into school. However, most are digital for you to scan your paper receipts. There is also a way to earn money for the school using your digital or e-receipts from grocery pickup and delivery. See below for details. Thank you!!

  1. Download the Box Tops for Education app on your phone or mobile device or at BTFE.com
  2. Create an account and find your school (St. Stephens School Riverview, FL) - this step only takes about 30 seconds!
  3. Start scanning your receipts. Tip: scan receipts while waiting in carline. 
  4. Yes, you can earn box tops on grocery pick up and delivery! The app has a short tutorial video showing you how to submit your emailed receipts or receipts from your retailer’s mobile app.  Forward digital receipt to receipts@boxtops4education.com within 14 days of purchase. Tip: Make sure you send the receipt from the same email address that you use to sign in at BTFE.com or the Box Tops mobile app. Screenshots, attachments, or PDFs of original receipts will not process correctly. If your digital receipt is only available in your participating store’s shopping app, just forward it directly from there. For more information, go to BTFE.com/digitalreceipts.
Principal's Coffee Schedule
Join us on Facebook Live once a month for an in-depth discussion with Mrs. Umoh and Mrs. Robles. See the schedule of topics here. Submit a question to be answered at the next event here.

Public Library Haal Pass
The Haal Pass allows our students to access public library resources with just their student ID number and Pin. Students will use their student ID number (from FACTS) and their password of 4321 to log into the HCPLC.org site. This allows them to check out physical copies of books as well as digital books, audiobooks, and any other materials available from the public library. Students can also use this account to check out ebooks on Overdrive or Libby, the digital reader programs used by the public library.
SSCS Library Access
Students can now check out books from our school library! Students can sign into our library catalog using Destiny Discover and put books on hold. Books will be delivered to their classrooms after being checked out. Flexible learning students can have their books picked up at the front office.

Missed a Tidbits? Find it on the school Website the school Facebook page or on our Instagram using #sscsmustangs
PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA