Dear POP Star Grandparents,

Hello and happy February! Time flies when you're having fun, and it's hard to believe that we're already halfway through the third quarter. We're down to our last two Silver Stars meetings of the semester, though, and we're looking to crescendo our efforts ahead of year-end. Launching the Silver Stars has been one of the highlights of the 2024-2025 school year, but we have so much more to accomplish before May! Our second-semester goals are to grow our membership, establish standing volunteer opportunities, and maximize credibility in order to end the year on a high note and start strong next school year. An immense thanks to our grandparents who have already put forth an outstanding effort in furthering the Silver Stars' mission!

Thank you to those who joined us at our special Silver Stars Meeting + POP Family Mixer last month in celebration of Catholic Schools Week. This was the first time we've hosted a social for both POP parents and grandparents, and we were thrilled to see such a strong turnout from our Silver Stars! Attendees had a delightful time hearing about the prayer partners program from seventh grader Lauren W. as well as "Saints Beget Saints" by Mrs. Katie Schwartz, Director of Community Outreach at Regina Caeli Academy. We pray that Mrs. Schwartz's insights about the domestic church and the power of praying together as a family have resonated with you in the weeks since and left a meaningful impact on your faith and family life.

Our next meeting is scheduled for this Monday, February 24! The meeting will take place in the Parish Hall at 9:15 a.m., immediately following K-8th Grade All-School Mass. Light refreshments will be provided. For our February meeting, we have two special treats in store for grandparents: student-led campus tours and official Silver Stars name badges! We kindly ask that attendees RSVP for the February meeting.

Please see below to RSVP for Monday's meeting and learn more about upcoming events and outreaches, including Read Across America Week in the CLC!

February Meeting

Join us this Monday, February 24, for our second-to-last Silver Stars meeting of the school year! As always, grandparents are invited to celebrate All-School Mass with grades K-8 at 8:10 a.m. in the POP Sanctuary with the Silver Stars meeting to immediately follow at 9:15 a.m. in the Parish Hall.

Light refreshments will be provided, and grandparents will have the opportunity to mix and mingle at the beginning of the event. Following a brief introduction by President, Mr. Faustin Weber, Silver Stars will embark on an exclusive POP experience...

Campus Tours with Student Ambassadors

For our February meeting, Silver Stars are invited to go on official campus tours led by our seventh- and eighth- grade Student Ambassadors! Free from the packed crowds of Grandparents & Grandfriends Day, Silver Stars will have the opportunity to hear directly from Ambassadors about their POP experiences and take a behind-the-scenes look at students' learning environment. Who knows — you may even catch a glimpse of your favorite POP Star(s) in action! Tours last approximately 30 minutes and will feature all grade levels, including the CLC.

Before departing for tours, grandparents will have to obtain security clearance at the front office. (Student Ambassadors will lead grandparents from the Parish Hall to the front office when tours begin). The front office can expedite the check-in process by pre-printing visitors stickers. If you plan to attend, please RSVP here to ensure a pre-printed visitor sticker: February Silver Stars Meeting RSVP. RSVPs are requested but not required to attend.

If you would prefer not to go on a campus tour, we would still be delighted to have you join us at the beginning of the meeting for coffee and good company!

Name Tags

We're excited to share that we have OFFICIAL name badges for the Silver Stars! (We're talking badges with magnetic backs, your full name, and our school logo — the official kind!). Silver Stars who have either attended a meeting, volunteered and/or have signed up to volunteer on campus, or are married to someone who fits the aforementioned criteria will have a name badge waiting to be picked up at Monday's meeting. Silver Stars are encouraged to wear their official name badge whenever on campus or at parish-school events such as August's Back-to-School Mass and January's Catholic Schools Week Mass.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, Ms. Evan Ray, Communications Coordinator, will hang on to your name badge in the interim. Please email Ms. Ray at eray@popschool.net with questions and/or concerns about your name badge.

Volunteer Opportunities

CLC Classroom Readers

Calling all PreK3-PreK5 grandparents! Read Across America Week kicks off in the CLC on Sunday, March 2. Read Across America Week is a nationwide celebration of children's literacy. As part of the festivities, CLC teachers and students are excited to invite our Silver Stars into the CLC as guest readers on Thursday, March 6, and Friday, March 7. To sign up as a classroom reader in your student's homeroom, please complete this form: CLC Readers Sign-Ups. Sign-ups are sorted by grade and homeroom teacher; please confirm with your family that you sign up to read for the correct class.

Lunch & Recess Duty

Sign-ups are now open for lunch & recess duty this 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 on how to RSVP for the Boot Scootin' Boogie will be sent to kindergarten parents next week.

In the Works

We are actively working to identify capacities in which Silver Stars can volunteer on campus this semester. We are currently arranging volunteer shifts for the POP Book Fair this April. In the event that we have a Silver Stars sign-up table at Grandparents & Grandfriends Day, we would ask that several Silver Stars volunteer to assist. Finally, the Advancement Office already anticipates needing extra hands to prep materials for 8th Grade Graduation in May, so be on the lookout for more information!

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.

Texas Catholic Feature

Texas Catholic readers aren't just seeing any stars — they're seeing Silver Stars! We're proud to share that the Silver Stars program was a feature story in the publication's special Catholic Schools Week edition. "Silver Stars Shine as Grandparents Enjoy Volunteer Opportunities," written by editor Michael Gresham, details the motivation for the organization's establishments and the various ways that POP grandparents have already mobilized as on-campus volunteers. To read the full Texas Catholic write-up online, please see this website: "Silver Stars Shine."

Upcoming Dates

With the spring semester comes a full line-up of events for POP families to attend, whether it be to support their favorite POP Star(s) or join in fellowship with our school community. Get ready to shine with the Stars, and save the dates for the following events!

• Monday, March 3: No All-School Mass; rescheduled for Ash Wednesday
• Wednesday, March 5: Ash Wednesday All-School Mass with Grades K-8 (8:10 a.m., POP Sanctuary)
• Saturday, March 8: Sparkles & Spurs POP Auction & Gala
• Wednesday, April 9: Serviam Night (6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Cana Center)
• Monday, April 14: Silver Stars Meeting (9:15 a.m., Parish Hall)
• Monday, April 28 - Friday, May 2: POP Book Fair (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily, Media Center)
• Wednesday, April 30 - Saturday, May 3: POP Spring Musical Performances (7:00 p.m. nightly, POP Gym)
• Friday, May 2: Grandparents & Grandfriends Day
• Saturday, May 3: 2nd Grade First Communion (10:00 a.m., POP Sanctuary)

Event information will be sent out either in the weekly POP e-newsletter or directly to grade-level parents unless otherwise noted. We kindly ask that you confirm details with your family before arriving on campus or attending an event.

As a reminder, we are always looking 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.

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 this Monday, February 24!