Tiger News

Dear St. Teresa Families!

This past week, we celebrated Red Ribbon Week with school spirit and reminders about making healthy choices, showing respect for ourselves and others, and living drug-free lives. Thank you to our students, families, and staff for participating and making the week special!

PTO Trunk or Treat — This Sunday!

Join us this Sunday, October 25, from 2:00–4:00 PM for our PTO Trunk or Treat! This event is for St. Teresa families. Please bring the flyer below for admission. Trunk setup will take place from 1:30–2:00 PM, and gates will close at 2:00 PM until the event ends. In case of rain, the event will move to the gym. Thank you to our PTO and participating families for making this afternoon possible!

How Much Does the Pumpkin Weigh?

Students can put their estimating skills to the test on October 26, 27, and 28! Purchase two guesses for $1 or five guesses for $2. The closest guess wins a Dairy Queen Blizzard for the student and a friend! Please write your name, grade, and guess in pounds on each ticket.

Halloween Parade & Classroom Parties — October 29

Our Halloween Parade begins at 1:45 PM on Thursday, October 29, followed by classroom parties at 2:00 PM. Families are invited to park in the church lot and enjoy the parade around the church property.

Please follow these costume guidelines:

• Pre-K–4th grade: Students may wear costumes to school.

• 5th–8th grade: Students may bring costumes to change into.

• Students may instead wear a black and/or orange top with uniform bottoms.

• Costumes must be school-appropriate, non-scary, and non-offensive. No masks, weapons—real or pretend—or fake blood.

Parent-Teacher Conferences — October 29 & 30

We look forward to meeting with families to celebrate student growth, discuss progress, and work together to support each child.

• Thursday, October 29: 4:00–8:00 PM

• Friday, October 30: 8:00 AM–12:00 PM

There is no school on Friday, October 30.

NJHS Halloween Dance — October 30

Students in sixth through eighth grade are invited to the NJHS Halloween Dance on Friday, October 30, from 6:00–8:00 PM! Admission is $5. Wear your costume, bring your own water bottle, and bring cash if you would like to purchase concessions.

Looking Ahead to November

Please mark your calendars for these upcoming dates:

• November 3: Fall picture retakes.

• November 3: PTO Scooter’s Coffee fundraiser at the Swansea location, 2700 N. Illinois Street. Show the flyer or mention St. Teresa at the drive-through, and 20% of sales will support our PTO!

• November 4: All Saints Mass, celebrating our students.

• November 10: PTO meeting at 6:30 PM in the Parish Center, with an auction committee meeting immediately afterward. All are welcome!

Veterans Day Assembly — November 11

We warmly invite our families, veterans, and community members to our Veterans Day Assembly on November 11 at 2:00 PM in the school gym. Together, we will honor the men and women who have served our country.

If you have never submitted a photo of a veteran in your family for our annual tribute, please email it to Mrs. Green by November 6. Previously submitted photos do not need to be sent again.

Thank you for choosing St. Teresa School and for entrusting us with the privilege of being a part of your child’s education, faith formation, and growth. We are grateful to have your family as part of our St. Teresa community.

God Bless,

Sincerely,

Nicole Green

Principal

Want to stay up-to-date on what is happening at St. Teresa but not sure how.
Check out the St. Teresa School Parent Calendar. Click on the link below to check it out!

St. Teresa Catholic School Google Calendar

October

29th ~ Halloween Parade 1:45

29th ~ Halloween Parties 2:00 - 3:00pm

29th ~ Parent Teacher Conferences 4-8pm

30th ~ No School

30th ~ Parent Teacher Conferences 8 - 12:00pm

November

3rd ~ Fall Picture Retake

4th ~ All Saints Mass (Students Celebrated)

11th ~ Veterans Day Assembly

13th ~ 8th Grade Retreat

15th ~Youth Mass St. Teresa Church 11am

20th ~11:30 Dismissal (No lunch/No extended care)

25th - 27th ~ Thanksgiving Break No School

30th ~ Santa's Kottage

December

1st ~ Santa's Kottage

1st - 4th ~ Candy for the Giving Tree

4th ~ 11:30 Dismissal (No lunch/No extended care)

5th ~ Confirmation 5pm Mass

8th ~ Mass Immaculate Conception & NJHS Induction 8:30am

10th ~ Christmas Concert

13th ~ Youth Mass 11:00 am

15th ~ Spelling Bee

18th ~ Christmas Parties 10:30

18th ~ 11:30 Dismissal (No lunch/No extended care)

December 21st - January 4th ~ No School

January 5th ~ Students Resume

💛🖤 Mrs. Shuman’s husband has received military orders, and their family will soon begin a new chapter. We are sad to see her leave St. Teresa and grateful for the care and creativity she has shared with our students. Please join us in wishing her family well and keeping them in your prayers!

We are now hiring a Pre-K–3rd Grade Art & Health Teacher, beginning at the end of January 2027.

🎨 Monday, Thursday, and Friday
💛 $15–$17 per hour
📧 Send a resume and professional references to nicole.green@stteresatigers.org.

Please help us spread the word! 🐾

St. Teresa Catholic School warmly invites our families, veterans, and community members to join us for our Veterans Day Assembly on November 11th at 2:00 PM in the school gym.

Together, we will honor the brave men and women who have served our country and express our heartfelt gratitude for their courage, service, and sacrifice.

Help Us Honor Your Veteran! If you have not previously submitted a photo of a veteran in your family for our annual Veterans Day tribute, please email it to nicole.green@saintteresatigers.org by November 6th. Photos previously submitted do not need to be sent again.

All are welcome! We hope you will join our St. Teresa family for this special celebration of our nation's heroes.

God bless our veterans, and God bless America!

This month’s Scholar Bowl practices will be from 3:00-4:30 in Mrs. Jane’s’ classroom on the following dates:

Thursday, October 29th - Meet in Parish Center

This will be a great opportunity for any 7th graders or newly interested 8th graders to learn how our competition operates. For any questions, please reach out to Becky Blandina

at 618-315-7618 or beckyblandina@gmail.com.

We are excited to offer our first-ever after-school Creative Arts Club at St. Teresa! Students will have the opportunity to explore their creativity, try new projects, and have fun creating alongside friends. If your child would like to participate in our first meeting, please use the link below to sign up.

Sign up for Creative Arts Club here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044EAEAB29A2FFCF8-66836149-artclub

Spaces may be limited, so be sure to sign up soon!

We are collecting fall sports team pictures for St. Teresa! If you are a coach or parent and have a team photo from one of our fall sports, please send it to Lauren Robinson at lauren.robinson@stteresatigers.org.

We love celebrating our Tigers and all of their accomplishments!

Every gift to the St. Teresa Endowment Fund helps provide lasting support for our students, teachers, and school programs. Your generosity ensures that St. Teresa Catholic School continues to provide a faith-filled, high-quality education for generations to come.

Whether your gift is large or small, every donation makes a difference.

🎯 Our Goal: $25,000

Please prayerfully consider making a contribution to the St. Teresa Endowment Fund and investing in the future of our school.

Give generously. Give graciously. Together, we can make a lasting difference.

Our Dads on Duty sign-ups for the 2026-2027 school year are now available!

We are grateful for the fathers, grandfathers, and father figures who volunteer their time to help support our students and school community. Whether you can help once or multiple times throughout the year, we appreciate your willingness to serve.

Please use the monthly sign-up links below to choose a date that works best for you.

Thank you for being a positive presence in the lives of our St. Teresa Tigers! 🐯🖤💛

Dads on Duty August - December 2026

Dads on Duty January - May 2027

We are excited to welcome volunteers back to St. Teresa Catholic School for the 2026-2027 school year!

If you would like to help supervise lunch and recess, please sign up using the monthly links below. Volunteers play an important role in supporting our students and giving our teachers a duty-free lunch.

Important Reminder: All volunteers must be current with VIRTUS training and compliance requirements before serving at school. If you are unsure of your status, please check your VIRTUS account before signing up.

📅 Monthly Sign-Up Links:

Thank you for sharing your time with our students. We are grateful for our amazing St. Teresa volunteers who help make our school a special place! 🐯🖤💛

During this special liturgy, the young members of our parish are invited to take part in the ministries of the Mass—serving as greeters, ushers, readers, and gift bearers.

Our next Children and Youth Mass will be held on November 15th. We encourage all families to mark their calendars and join us for this joyful celebration.

If your child would like to participate, please use the sign-up links below to select a ministry role.

November 15th

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4EA5A622A0FF2-65425723-november#/

December 13th

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4EA5A622A0FF2-65425751-december

We look forward to seeing our youth involved and growing in faith!

We have great news! Rapid Expressions has launched an online perpetual order form, allowing families to order shirts anytime throughout the year—whether it’s one, two, or twenty!

No more waiting until May to get your Faith Family Shirt.

These shirts are optional for Field Day and also qualify as Spirit wear for Fridays!

https://www.rapidexpressions.com/stteresa_faith_family/shop/home

Know of a St. Teresa Alumni to Spotlight email nicole.green@stteresatigers.org

The PTO is excited to begin planning for another great school year! Please take a few moments to complete the Tiger Call Google Form for the 2026-2027 school year. This form helps us stay connected throughout the year.

Your involvement makes a difference and helps strengthen our St. Teresa community.

Please complete the form by October 2nd. Thank you for your continued support of our students, staff, and school!

Tiger Call Google Form: https://forms.gle/UD28ZSPh6ybxdHM7A

"Many hands make light work, and together we make St. Teresa stronger!"

*We meet the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm in the St. Teresa Parish Center. All ladies of St. Teresa School/Church are welcome to attend!

Visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stteresaperpetualhelp

Child Care is available.

Important Dates & Upcoming Events

• Crusader Shadow Visit :https://www.althoffcatholic.org/admissions/visit.cfm
• Application for Admission: https://www.althoffcatholic.org/admissions/apply.cfm

Upcoming events, more information at https://www.althoffcatholic.org/admissions/visit.cfm

Name: Catholic Diocese of Belleville

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557358381815

It will be policy at Belleville West this year to require that junior high/middle schoolers wishing to attend West events must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. They will not be admitted without a parent or guardian alongside.

ARRIVAL:

Doors will open at 7:30am in the front of school.

DISMISSAL:

Dismissal Times:
PreK 3 & 4 - 2:50 pm

Kindergarten - 3rd Grade - 2:55 pm

4th - 8th Grade - 3:00 pm

Due to safety reasons, all parents/guardians who are picking up students PreK - 3rd grade must walk up to get their student. We thank you for your understanding and support.

Students who are not picked up by 3:10 pm will be walked down to Extended Care.

Extended Care fees are $13 per day, per child from 3:10pm - 5:30 pm

LUNCH:

School lunches cost $4.15 per lunch with milk costing $0.85.

Students from 5th to 8th grade will have four lunch choices; two rotating choices, a salad, or a sandwich.

PreK -- 4th Grade will have three lunch choices; two rotating choices, or a sandwich. NO SALAD

Lunches may be paid for through the prepay option of each students FACTS account or by cash/check in the St. Teresa School Office.

Parents/Guardians can deposit money for meals into their FACTS Management Account.

CHROMEBOOKS: 5th - 8th Grade

Please ensure your student is bringing their Chromebook back to school each day charged. Chromebooks that are not charged will be treated as if the student is not prepared for class.

Water Bottles:

Students may bring a reusable water bottle to school for use throughout the school day. Water bottles do not need to be clear or transparent; however, they must contain plain, unflavored water only. Flavor packets, sports drinks, juice, soda, coffee, energy drinks, or other beverages are not permitted. Students may also bring an empty water bottle and fill it at school.

Water bottles must have a secure, closable lid or cap to help prevent spills and must remain closed when not in use. Teachers may designate where water bottles are kept within the classroom. Students are responsible for helping clean up any spills caused by their water bottle.

If a staff member has reasonable concern that a water bottle contains something other than plain water, the contents may be checked. Any prohibited beverage must be emptied. Repeated violations may result in the student being required to utilize the school water fountain in place of a water bottle.

The privilege of having a water bottle at school depends upon students using it responsibly and following school and classroom expectations.

Dress Code:

Students may wear ANY COLOR spirit wear on Fridays, as long as it is in good taste and says St. Teresa School on it.

NON-UNIFORM DAYS

Ensure you are follow the Student/Parent Handbook on non-uniform days.