St. Stephen School Celebrates Decade of Education

Students, faculty and parents will gather April 6 to celebrate a decade of inspiring young minds at St. Stephen Catholic School, 10424 St. Stephen Circle, Riverview.

The 10^th Anniversary Committee has been hard at work planning activities to celebrate this landmark year in the Catholic school’s history.

The celebration will kick off April 6 with a luncheon for Bishop Robert Lynch of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, coordinated by Nancy Slade and Martha’s Ministry. Among those attending the luncheon will be St. Stephen’s priests, priests from surrounding parishes, the members of the 10^th Anniversary Committee, the School Advisory Board, the Parish Pastoral Council and Principal Therese Jackson.

Following the luncheon, a schoolwide Mass will take place outside beneath a tent at 1:30 p.m. The school’s National Junior Honor Society and Student Council will decorate the tent for the Mass with the help of the church’s Arts and Environment Ministry.

Parents, school alumni and former faculty members have been invited. Also expected to be on hand for the Mass are the school’s first principal, Mary Liddy, who is honorary chairwoman of the event; the Rev. Patrick Irwin, who was pastor of the church when the school began; the Rev. Paul Pecchie, former parochial vicar at St. Stephen Catholic Church when the school began; and the Rev. Mike Smith, also a former parochial vicar at St. Stephen. In addition, invitations have been extended to St. Stephen’s deacons and acolytes. 

As part of the Mass, a time capsule containing items from each class will be blessed and subsequently buried near the flagpole and marked with a stepping stone created by art teacher Julianne Gonzalez. Among the items to be included in the time capsule are the school’s first yearbook, a 10^th-anniversary yearbook, the 10^th anniversary magnet and a yellow St. Stephen uniform shirt.

Following the Mass, the bishop will bless each classroom of the school.

A number of events have occurred throughout the school year to commemorate the 10^th anniversary.

Each teacher or staff member who has been at the school for 10 years had had a theme day and was presented some of their favorite treats by students and parents. They include Tom Poole, Laura Cichanski, Jennisica Sifferman, Ken Hillyard, Maria Hoffman and Julie Pollock.

During the annual Angels Among Us fundraiser last fall, customized chocolate bars and bookmarks with the 10^th anniversary logo were designed and distributed to attendees.

Gonzalez designed and created a logo for the 10^th anniversary theme, “A Decade of Inspiration,” based on the school’s mission statement, and auctioned off an original painting featuring the logo. The logo depicts a multi-colored mustang representing the school’s diversity.

Then, during Catholic Schools Week in January, students, staff and faculty all wore shirts featuring the logo. The theme of the yearbook also will be based on the school’s 10^th anniversary. And parents Scott Huetteman and Al Larsen have created two commemorative videos about the school with the longer version shown before the anniversary Mass.

There also are 14 students who have been at St. Stephen all 10 years. These students will be highlighted on the school’s Morning Show, given a pass to the Spring Jubilee and a commemorative button.

St. Stephen Catholic School opened in August 2001 under the leadership of the Rev. Patrick Irwin and Principal Mary Liddy. Therese Jackson became vice principal in 2002 and principal in 2006. The school currently has 386 students.