Our Daisy troop & Kindergarten Bake Sale was a huge success! Thank you to all who donated baked goods and those who purchased goodies!
Check out Mr. Vitale as he prepares for Gym class!
The students enjoyed a Christmas Pizza Party provided by the Home School Association. We had a very special visitor! Merry Christmas! Thank you HSA!
The Student Council held a Stocking Raffle. The winners pictured are Ramon Tioncgo, Grade 5, Liam Santocroce, Kindergarten, and Tristan Colafati. Not picture is Ian Lee, Pre K. Congratulations!
Grades Kindergarten through Grade 3 entered the Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers Contest. The students had to draw and color a Christmas trees. They had many entrees, and our very own Rachel Aliwalas in Grade 3 won! She won a certificate for a real Christmas tree to be chosen from an area tree farm. Congratulations Rachel & Merry Christmas!
Our Annual Fund Brunch honoree was Mrs. Nancy Ferraro honored for her 30 years of teaching at St. Stephen School. Throughout her years at Saint Stephen School, Mrs. Ferraro has shown much love and kindness to all members of our school community. She has truly supported our mission and has dedicated many years to both the academic and spiritual development of her students.
Congratulations & Thank You Mrs. Ferraro!
Edward and Terry Stong and Raymond and Joanne Donahue were honored at the 32nd Anniversary HOPES Dinner sponsored by the Office of Catholic Schools, Archdiocese of Hartford, and held at the Aqua Turf Club, Southington on September 27th. The gathering of nearly six hundred included pastors, principals and volunteer leaders representing several school constituencies - parents, grandparents, past parents, alumni and friends. One hundred twenty-four attendees were honored with the 2009 St. John Neumann Award for Volunteer Service, in recognition of outstanding service to Catholic education at the parish school level.
They are pictured with Maria Testa, Principal of Saint Stephen School, and Father Robert Heffernan of Saint Stephen Parish in Hamden, CT.
Our Annual Fund Brunch honoree was Mrs. Nancy Ferraro honored for her 30 years of teaching at St. Stephen School. Throughout her years at Saint Stephen School, Mrs. Ferraro has shown much love and kindness to all members of our school community. She has truly supported our mission and has dedicated many years to both the academic and spiritual development of her students.
Congratulations & Thank You Mrs. Ferraro!
Edward and Terry Stong and Raymond and Joanne Donahue were honored at the 32nd Anniversary HOPES Dinner sponsored by the Office of Catholic Schools, Archdiocese of Hartford, and held at the Aqua Turf Club, Southington on September 27th. The gathering of nearly six hundred included pastors, principals and volunteer leaders representing several school constituencies - parents, grandparents, past parents, alumni and friends. One hundred twenty-four attendees were honored with the 2009 St. John Neumann Award for Volunteer Service, in recognition of outstanding service to Catholic education at the parish school level.
They are pictured with Maria Testa, Principal of Saint Stephen School, and Father Robert Heffernan of Saint Stephen Parish in Hamden, CT.
The 2nd Annual Marketplace Extravaganza wil be held on Thursday, November 12, 2009 6:30PM-8:30PM. Please see the announcement for more details.
Thank to all who supported the 2009 Walkathon. The students, faculty, parents, and volunteers are very grateful for your generosity. The Walkathon was a great success as we were able to raise more than $10,000 this year! These funds will benefit the children we serve as well as our community.
Once again, we would like to congratulate Nneoma Obi/Grade 8 for generating the most pledges this year. Congratulations also to Caitlin Brophy/Grade 3 and Zachary Dillon/Grade 7 for bringing in the second and third most pledges, respectively. The winners in the Annual Pig Race were as follows:
We would also like to thank all of the local businesses who sponsored the event. Please visit the Friends section of our web site to learn more about our sponsors. Many thanks also to Mr. Ken Lewis for providing bottled water for the event. Last, but certainly not least, congratulations to Mrs. Spilka, the Pre-K and Captain Commotion for winning the Annual Pig Race! Thanks again to all who participated!
On Saturday October 24, from 9:00AM-1:00 PM, we will be holding our bi-annual Shred Day at the school parking lot.
Pack your bags and grab a friend or two! For those new to Scrapbooking - don't be intimidated by your stashes of unorganized photos! Bring a couple boxes or bags filled with photos with you and you'll go home feeling not only accomplished but ready to start tackling the rest!
For those already familiar with album making - Grab your current album project and supplies and get ready to spend 6 uninterrupted hours cropping the night away with others who enjoy scrapbooking just as much as you do!
Admission is only $10 and includes a full 4' of work space, full use of tools at our "Tool Table", hands-on album making demonstrations and your name automatically entered in our door prize drawing!
Not sure what the fuss is all about? We invite you to stop by anytime during the Crop Night event to check things out and have all your questions answered.
Space is limited! Contact Denise Szczech at SSCRE@sbcglobal.net or 203.288.1305.
New energy efficient windows were installed in the gym during the summer. The installation was handled by A&E Glass. Many thanks to Richard Funaro for coordinating the work!
Before:
After:
Grade 1 and Grade 2 had a visit from Gil Simmons from WTNH Channel 8 and the Weather Bug. The students learned about temperature, wind barometer and how they forecast the weather with the computer and radar.
Mrs. Lewis and her Grade 1 class had some caterpillar larvae hatch into beautiful Monarch butterflies. They let them go today near the statue of Mary.
The Student Council held a Bake Sale and is donating $150.00 dollars to "Crankin for a Cause". It is a fundraiser for a 3 year old little boy named Tristan who suffers from a very serious seizure disorder. His family is trying to raise $11,000.00 to receive a Seizure Assistance Dog. The dog would provide Tristan with companionship, and to sense when a seizure may occur and alert someone. They will receive the service dog from 4 Paws for Ability, Inc. Thank you to all that supported our Bake Sale!
Mrs. Calamita's Kindergarten class ran a school fundraiser to raise money for cancer awareness. The students raised $411.00! Thank you to everyone for their support.
Mrs. Curtis enjoys making these beautiful confections! Check out these Saint Stephen School softball cookies! Look too good to eat.....almost!
Mrs. Lewis's Grade 1 class have some visitors in the form of caterpillars. We have a special habitat to store our furry friends. They have been eating every day and are very fat! We are in for a suprise in a few days!
The playground is ready for Spring! We installed new mulch and the children are all set to play on it.
Mrs. Lewis First grade class and Mrs. Ferraro's Grade 2 class had a few visitors today. Avery and Aaron Hazelwood asked their grandfather to bring in their pet snakes. They have 6 snakes, and they told the class all about what they eat, how they open their mouths very wide, and when they shed their skin. The children asked alot of great questions.
Thank you very much to Mr. Walsh for bringing in the snakes!
The Student Council members held a fundraiser to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The student council members sold bracelets that read "Relentless". They were able to raise $350.00! The money will be donated in memory of Edwina Villabona. Thank you to all very much for your support.
Mrs Calamita's Kindergarten class ran a fundraiser for Animal Haven. We collected blankets, food, toys and treats. We also had a Dress Down Day, and collected $250.00! We would like to thank everyone for donating.
On Saturday, April 25 from 9:00AM-1:00PM, we will be holding our bi-annual Shred Day at the school parking lot.
Click here for more info.
Thanks to our excellent team of volunteers and generous donors, our 2009 Phonathon was a success! Despite a very poor economy, we raised nearly $2,700 in specific pledges for our Annual Fund! We also spoke with numerous loyal friends who offered their support but did not provide a specific amount. Our overall Annual Fund total is at approximately $10,000 in cash and pledges!
We still have more than three months left in our Annual Fund Drive. We accept contributions until the drive ends June 30th. If we were not able to reach you during the Phonathon but you are interested in donating, please contact Mrs. Testa or Mrs. Wheeler in the office. This year's donations will be used to upgrade technology in our classrooms and computer lab.
Thank you to all the Phonathon volunteers listed below for such great work. Special thanks to the Advancement Committee members who worked at the Phonathon and helped prepare for the event.
Our Phonathon Team:
| Tony Anderson | Tony Napolitano |
| Iris Barahona | Jennifer Olson |
| Bob Cannon | Sharon Shatas |
| Laura Cannon | Mrs. Testa |
| Ruth McCorkle |
Grade 6 student Zachary Pearce participated in the Connecticut Catholic Schools Spelling Bee Regional Competition on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at St. Aedan School in New Haven. Zachary was the first place winner for Grade 6, and will now continue on to the State Championship on Sunday, April 26, 2009 at St. Anthony Church in Prospect. This event is hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Congratulations Zachary!
The students held a Pep Rally today, to help celebrate Catholic Schools Week. There was a basketball game between the students and the teachers. We ended with our school song sung by our 2nd grade class. We all had a great time!
Father Bob hosted a televised Mass on 22-Jan-2009.
Students submitted essays to the Hamden Lodge 2224 B.P.O Elks on "What Freedom Means to Me". The students pictured are 1st place winner Jayquan Heyward Grade 5, 2nd place winner Tavis Daluz-Cates Grade 5, and 3rd place winner John Santiago Grade 5. These students' essays were chosen from other fifth and sixth grade classes in the Hamden area.
Their essays will now be sent to the District Chairperson for further judging, and if selected, will be sent to the State Chairperson and from there if chosen; winners will be announced at a convention in Portland Oregon in July. The students will be receiving certificates at the Annual Youth Awards Banquet on May 5th.
2006 graduate Mark Ferraro is currently a Junior at Notre Dame High School. On January 15, 2009 , Mark was inducted into the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society. The ceremony took place during the Junior Ring ceremony. Congratulations Mark!
The Gianelli Youth Group caroled at the St. Regis Health Center in New Haven. Zoe, our student, met Zoe the dog who was visiting her owner at the Convalescent center.
Student Council and Advanced band members visited the Veterans Hospital in West Haven on Thursday, December 18, 2008. The students played Christmas music and sang Christmas carols for the patients. We would like to thank the Elks Club of Hamden for their generous contribution. Their kindness paid for the bus rental to transfer the students.
The Home School Association sponsored a pizza party for the whole school. They also had a special visitor! Thanks HSA and Merry Christimas!
The 4th and 5th grade students took a trip back in time. The students spent the day living life as a colonist during "Colonial Day" The students made soap, cornbread, horn books, corn husk dolls, potpourri sachets, played colonial games, wove wool on a spinning wheel and quilted squares for a classroom quilt. The students had a very fun and educational learning experience.
Thanks to all the parents who volunteered their time.
The students had a special visitor today! We put our shoes out in the hallway and St. Nicholas visited and left us Kisses and Candy Canes. Thanks St. Nicholas!
Mollie in Grade 2 and her family gave her classmates each a boxwood plant in honor of St. Nicholas Day. The tradition says that children put their shoes or boots on the window sill before going to bed on December 5th and when they wake up they find treats in their shoes! This is also a celebration held at the beginning of the Advent season.
Thank you Mrs. Bibok!
Our devoted Hot Lunch Moms making grilled cheese sandwiches for the students. We process orders on Thursday mornings beginning at 8:30AM and serve at 11:30AM. We would love to have more volunteers!
The Hamden Elks gave us a Pledge of Allegiance kit and a check for the VA hospital Christmas Concert visit. The funds will be used to pay for transportation to the West Haven VA Hospital where our kids will perform for the Veterans.
Saint Stephen School held a Christmas Card drawing contest. The winner was Angie Stong from Grade 7. Her drawing will be used to make a Christmas card to be sent out to our fellow parochial school to wish them a Merry Christmas. Congratulations Angie!
A Christmas Tree Drawing Contest was held in conjunction with The Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers Association. The winner was Carolina Galvis from Grade 1. She received a certificate to choose a Christmas tree from a local tree farm. The other winners can be seen here.
Carolina's winning drawing
Congratulations Carolina!!!
Mrs. Delvecchio's Grade 4 class celebrated "Diversity Day". The students and their families each brought in a dish that originated from their families ethnic background. The students enjoyed gingerbread, currie chicken, keilbasa, empanadas, stuffed grape leaves, cornbread, spring rolls and much more! Thanks to all the families who helped, we had a great time! Happy Thanksgiving!
The Student Council collected turkeys and non-perishable food items to be delivered to area soup kitchens, families in need in our parish and KC 101 Stuff-a-Bus. Thank you to all who donated and Happy Thanksgiving!
Student Council Officers: Annalisa Biceglia, Jessica Napolitano, Lindsey Miranda and Nicole Funaro.
KC-101
The First Grade had a great time making their Family Turkeys. They all received ribbons and each family turkey was very unique. Bravo to each first grader and their family. Gobble, Gobble!!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Congratulations to Ricky Funaro (2006/left) and Brendan Lewis (2007/right). Ricky was inducted into the National Spanish Honor Society and Brendan into the National Honor Society on November 16, 2008. Both currently attend Xavier High School.
On November 9, 2008, we began our Annual Fund Kickoff. We celebrated Mass and then had our kickoff brunch honoring long time volunteers and supporters, Janet and Richard Funaro. We are most grateful to the Funaros for all that they have done for Saint Stephen School. They have certainly given much of their time and talent to our school community! Thanks to Carriage Farms for providing the delicious brunch.
Bob Cannon, Rich Funaro, Janet Funaro, and Tony Anderson
Saint Stephen School held it's own Presidential election hosted by Mrs. Fortuna's grade 5 class. The students were given an ID, had to check in with their ID to receive a ballot, and then they were shown to a confidential voting booth to cast their vote. All the students in the school and faculty took part. Barack Obama won in our election too!
The Annual Walkathon was on Monday, October 20, 2008. We would like to congratulate Nneoma Obi (Grade 7), Matthew Hamilton (Grade 7), and David McKnight (Grade 1) for generating the most pledges. Grade 7 raised the most pledges and will enjoy a pizza party. Many thanks to our wonderful sponsors. The will be featured on the Friends section of the site for one year.
The Fall Shred Day was a big success. Thanks to all who participated. Special thanks to Rich Funaro for organizing the event!
On September 28, 2008 the 31st Annual Hopes Dinner was held at the Aqua Turf. The honorees from Saint Stephen School were Ms. Dawn Davidson, Mrs. Dawn Davidson, Marshall Davidson, Debbie Signore, David Signore, Valentino DiGioia and Carmel DiGioia.
This dinner is dedicated to the men and women who have given so generously of their time and talent in the support of Catholic school education in the Archdiocese of Hartford. We honor them and give them special recognition as Volunters of the Year for 2008.
Saint Stephen School participated in the "Get Your Pink On" dress down day. The children brought in donations, to help raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness. Pictured is Donald Moorcroft, Matthew Mangal, Sean Mfarinya, Mrs. Testa, Zachary Dillon, Austyn Selmquist and Kenny Whichard.
The Home School Association invites you to join us for an amazing evening of fun, shopping, raffles, cocktails and munchies! The event will be held at the school on Thursday, November 13th from 6:30-9:00PM. Please click here for more info.
Grades 2 & 3 went on a Field trip to Ives Farm. The children went on a hayride, ran through the corn maze, picked a pumpkin and had cider and donuts. We had a fun Fall day!
The entire school participated in a procession around the school grounds while reciting the Rosary. 8th grade students carried a statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Prayers were offered for world peace and personal intentions.
These are the new uniforms for our girls at St. Stephen School, modeled by our Kindergarten students and don't they look great! Remember, all students must be in the winter school uniform by Friday, October 24th. The students' pictures will be taken on that day, but they continue to wear the winter uniform after that day.
Ricky Funaro, Mark Ferraro & Kevin Wheeler Class of 2006 and Kailey Wheeler and Julianna Kriszan Class of 2007 get together to enjoy a Yale football game.
Grade 3 had an in-school field trip called " My Bones". They were shown different animal bones: moose vertabrae, a deer skull, a wolf tooth, a bear skull, cats teeth, a bear fang and a fox fang. Then we were shown x-rays of different animal bones, a frog, turtle and a snake. We also learned the difference between herbivores and carnivores. We then did a craft making a skeleton.
Mrs. Spilka's Pre K class and Mrs Fortuna's 5th grade class met this morning and the 5th graders read to the Pre K students. They read stories and a Guardian Angel prayer. The children then made their own guardian angels by making the wings with their hand prints. We had a great time!
On Saturday, October 25 from 9:00AM - 1:00PM, we will be holding our bi-annual Shred Day at the school parking lot.
Click here for more info.
The Annual Walkathon will be held on October 20, 2008. The Walkathon is our primary fund raiser and is a terrific way to advertise a business. Business sponsors will be featured in a letter to each family. Their names will also be printed on T-shirts worn by the students, faculty, and staff. In addition, each business sponsor will be prominently featured on the Friends of Saint Stephen's section of our web site for one year!
Forms and announcements:
For more information, please contact the school at 203-288-6792 or email the Walkathon Chairperson Helen Aliwalas.
Mrs. Nancy Ferraro (Grade 2 teacher) once again has organized the the Saint Stephen Bowling league. Participants will meet Tuesdays at 3:30PM at Johnson's Duckpin Lanes in the Hamden Plaza. The first session takes place 14-Oct-2008 through 16-Dec-2008. The second session takes place 06-Jan-2009 through 02-Jun-2009. The end of the year party will be held 09-Jun-2009. The cost is $6.00/week which students will pay each week at the bowling alley. The league is open to students in Grades K-8. Stay tuned for more info in the coming days.
Saint Stephen School kicked off the first fundraiser of the year, the Magazine Drive. Your child will come home with an envelope and order forms today. Please read all the turn in date information carefully. Also, please make sure order forms are filled out completely, especially your child's name and Saint Stephen School. Extra order forms are available in the office. 40% of your total order is deducted from you assessment.
Saint Stephen School in Hamden has been granted continued accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The Commission on Independent Schools commended the pastor of Saint Stephen Parish for his presence, support and ministry; the principal for her dedication and leadership; and the school for the clear vision of its mission.
The Home School Association Officers for the 2008-2009 school year will be:
| President: | Laura Ehle |
| Vice President: | Diane Cox |
| Secretary: | Mary D'Agostino |
| Treasurer: | Mary Ann Curtis |
The Saint Stephen School community has 2 new additions to our family. Mrs. Lewis and her husband Billy and Gabbie (Grade 6) welcomed Madison Elizabeth. Antionetta and Tony Testa and Mrs. Testa (Grandma) welcomed Maria Teresa this summer. Welcome!!!
Students, parents, and staff represented Saint Stephen School at the 2008 Hamden Memorial Day Parade.
For 2007-2008 news, click here