Dear POP Star Grandparents,

Happy New Year! Thanks to your support and involvement, the Silver Stars program got off to a strong start last fall, and we look forward to see this program continue to grow in the new year. The spring semester is consistently one of the busiest times of the year, and we have a full line-up of exciting events and programs in the queue. It goes without saying that we are eager to continue to integrate our grandparents into the life of our school and strengthen our relationship with each of you through these outreaches!

Next week (Sunday, January 26 - Friday, January 31), POP will celebrate Catholic Schools Week (CSW), an annual celebration of Catholic education across the United States. This year's nationwide theme for CSW is "Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community." As you know, we pride ourselves on our thriving school community, and our POP grandparents play an integral role in laying a Christ-centered foundation for our students' faith formation, academic success, and social-emotional growth. The impact that you make everyday on the hearts of our students and the livelihood of our school alike goes neither unnoticed nor unappreciated, and we sincerely thank you for the commitment you've made to both our Catholic faith and school community.

On Monday, January 27, CSW will kick off with All-School Mass and our monthly Silver Stars event! However, this won't be just any Silver Stars meeting; rather, in celebration of CSW, we're excited to have POP families join us for an after-Mass meeting and mixer. Please see below for more information about our Silver Stars Meeting & POP Family Mixer as well as upcoming outreach opportunities.

Catholic Schools Week

Texas Catholic Feature

Look for the Silver Stars in this week's edition of the Texas Catholic newspaper! In celebration of CSW, the Texas Catholic will be highlighting the various programs that make each diocesan school unique. This year, we're excited to share that the Silver Stars will be a feature story! If you are not subscribed to receive the Texas Catholic, we anticipate that the article will also be posted on the Texas Catholic website later in the week.

Parish Mass

Sunday, January 26, at 10:00 a.m., POP Sanctuary

Join us at 10:00 a.m. this Sunday, January 26, for a special CSW Mass celebration! At the Mass, POP students will serve as lectors and ushers, Mr. Weber will share a few brief words, and eighth grader Olivia M. will read her CSW essay.

All-School Mass

Monday, January 27, at 8:10 a.m., POP Sanctuary

As always, we would love to see our POP grandparents at All-School Mass on Monday, January 27, at 8:10 a.m. in the POP Sanctuary! Students in grades K-8 will be in attendance. Excitingly, at the conclusion of the Mass, we will announce both our 2024-2025 Staff Member of the Year and 2025 HALO Educator of the Year Award nominee. Families are invited to stay afterward for our Silver Stars Meeting & POP Family Mixer.

Silver Stars Meeting & POP Family Mixer

Monday, January 27, at 9:30 a.m., Parish Hall

In the spirit of the national CSW theme, "United in Faith and Community," we will be combining our regularly-scheduled Silver Stars meeting with a POP family mixer, hosted by our Parent Volunteer Organization (PVO). That's right — we're excited to host both our POP grandparents AND parents! Families are invited to mix and mingle over light refreshments. One of our outstanding middle school students will be present to read their CSW essay, and we are currently working to confirm a speaker. Please see this Friday's e-newsletter for additional details. We look forward to seeing you!

Nightly E-Blasts

Throughout CSW, nightly e-blasts will be sent to parents and grandparents featuring a selection of essays written by 6th-8th grade students. These essays celebrate the many ways that POP has made an impact on students' lives, whether it be through religion coursework, extracurricular offerings, or the support of our school community.

Volunteer Opportunities

Lunch & Recess Duty

Sign-ups are now open for lunch & recess duty on the Thursday, February 20; Thursday, March 13; Thursday, April 10; and Thursday, May 8. To sign up, please complete this form: Lunch & Recess Duty Sign-Ups. We highly encourage any interested kindergarten grandparents to take advantage of the March 13 date as the Boot Scootin' Boogie will immediately follow students' lunch & recess time (details to come).

Gardening

Several outdoor areas around school are in need of some TLC! We already have an awesome team of green-thumbed grandparents ready to assist with the beautification and maintenance of these spaces, but we can make an even greater impact with more grandparents. If interested, please contact our school president, Mr. Faustin Weber.

Advancement On-Call Team

Last week, our on-call team leapt into action to the assist with the POP Science Fair, and we have several major events in the queue with which we may need assistance from the on-call team. If you previously expressed an interest in joining our on-call team, please keep an eye on your inbox for miscellaneous volunteer opportunities as needs arise.

If you plan to volunteer on campus, please ensure that you have Safe Environment clearance in advance. To view Safe Environment procedures for both new and previously cleared volunteers, please see this website: Safe Environment Instructions. For questions and/or assistance, contact our Safe Environment Coordinator, Mrs. Nicole Mahaffey, either via email or by calling (972) 380-5505.

Outreach & Communications

Referrals

We would LOVE to bring more grandparents in the door! Silver Stars are welcome (and encouraged!) to expand our organization by inviting local school grandparents to attend upcoming meetings and/or sign up for communications at this website: Silver Stars Interest Form. Prospective members may also contact Ms. Evan Ray, Communications Coordinator, via email at eray@popschool.net.

POP Newsletter

Every Friday during the school year, a comprehensive school newsletter is emailed to all PreK3-8th grade parents and 6th-8th grade students. All Silver Stars have been added to the mailing list for the school newsletter. If you would prefer not to receive the weekly school newsletter, please email Ms. Ray. We kindly ask that you do not click "unsubscribe" as doing so will remove you from all email correspondences.

Feedback

We would love to hear your input regarding the direction of this organization and/or events, opportunities, and outreaches you would like to see made available! Whether it's a suggestion for a guest speaker or an idea for a service project, feedback is always welcome. Questions and comments may be directed to Ms. Ray.

All-School Mass & Upcoming Meetings

Save the date for our February Silver Stars meeting on Monday, February 24! While you're at it, be sure to mark your calendars for our annual Grandparents & Grandfriends Day event on Friday, May 2! Stay tuned for more information.

As a reminder, grandparents and family members are always welcome at All-School Mass. All-School Mass begins every Monday at 8:10 a.m. in the POP Sanctuary.

Thank You!

We'd like to extend a major thanks to our Silver Stars who have already taken on an active role volunteering around campus! An immense thank-you to Mrs. Marthalicia Burkle, Mrs. Judi Edstrom, and Mrs. Nina Iglinsky for serving at lunch & recess duty this past week; volunteering in this capacity is truly a welcome act of service for our faculty members. Thank you as well to Mr. Richard Cusick, Mrs. Sara Cusick, Mr. Angel Herrera, and Mrs. Victoria Jackson for taking the lead on our gardening outreach. Finally, special thanks to Mrs. Mary Beth Marchiony and Mrs. Josephine Martinescue for volunteering as judges for the POP Science Fair.

Once again, we appreciate your interest in the Silver Stars and your continued investment in the life of our school; your support and involvement truly makes an indelible impact on our students. We look forward to seeing you at our Silver Stars Meeting & POP Family Mixer this Monday, January 27!