The Messenger - October 6, 2017

THE MESSENGER October 6, 2017 staopcs.org

Homecoming!

I am with you and will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you. –Genesis 28:15

MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATION Dear School Families, We want to thank everyone who celebrated our first Homecoming with us this week—we were so proud to have many alumni return! It was great to have the whole school come together for the Pep Rally, Spirit Week and the Homecoming football game. Thank you!

We began reciting our daily decade of the Rosary each morning for the month of October. There is a great sense of peace felt during our prayer time together. We also want to encourage school families to volunteer to recite rosaries at home this month. Please join us for our annual Living Rosary on Tuesday, October 17th.

Our discipleship message for the week is focused on October as Respect Life Month. How is that related to being a Disciple of Christ? The focus of the month gives us a great opportunity to remember that as a Catholic school we are called to respect the dignity of each person we meet and that we have the responsibility of helping each other reach our God given potential.

Disciples see Christ in others and share the Christ within them. We have been working on this since the school year began. Do we always respect others? Do we treat them in a way that we want to be treated? These are great questions for all of us to think about during Respect Life month.

Remember it's all about being Christ-like in our words and actions and leading each other closer and closer to Christ.

May you have a blessed long weekend!

Sincerely in Christ,

ReneĂŠ B. Nunez

Susan Leddy

Kendall Shamas

Principal

Assistant Principal

Assistant Principal

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ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL NOTES Now that we have many arrivals and dismissals under our belt we just want to remind you of some important safety habits that will help to keep our children safe, and make our drop off and pick-up more effective:

walk your students to school or pick-up from Sheltz Hall.

The northeast lot is for Middle School students and siblings ONLY.  Lastly, please remember that when you are driving through our parking lots – or anywhere displaying a St. Anthony car sticker – you are representing our school.

Please exercise patience, caution and Christ-like actions while driving. It is disheartening when we receive reports from within our community of hazardous driving behavior.

 Please DO NOT get out of your car. We are there to help your children get in and out of your car, load and unload backpacks, etc.  Please do not drive around a car that is still loading or unloading. This is extremely dangerous. We ask that you make sure those picking up your child (grandparents, sitters, etc) know not to pull around a parked car. We have witnessed several close incidents that could have been easily prevented.  Remember, it is against the law for you to be on your cell phone in a school zone. This includes car line.  For the safety of our children, use the designated southeast parking lot on the east side of the church to

We want to thank everyone in advance for your patience and cooperation as work to reestablish proper routines and procedures.

The piazza of the church will be undergoing restoration over the next few weeks.

Please follow and be aware signage to ensure safety!

Please Note:

OCTOBER 2017 CALENDAR Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

9

10

11

12

13

Mass (5A), 9 a.m.

Rosary (en Espanol), 2:30 p.m.

Box Tops Due

NO SCHOOL– Staff Development

Fall Pictures

$5 Free Dress for Student Council Early Childhood Pumpkin Day PTC Wizard Closes, 12 p.m.

16

17

18

19

20

Rosary, 8:30 a.m.

Living Rosary, 8:15 a.m.

Mass (5B), 9 a.m.

EARLY RELEASE (12:00 p.m.)

EARLY RELEASE (12:00 p.m.)

Fall Conferences

Fall Conferences

SPIRIT DAY: Panera Bread, 4—8 p.m.

23 Rosary, 8:30 a.m.

24

SPIRIT DAY: Bahama Bucks, 4—7 p.m.

25 Mass (4A), 9 a.m.

26

27 Halloween Science Day! $1 T-shirt & Jean Day—benefitting Cross Catholic

RED RIBBON WEEK

ALL–SCHOOL NEWS UPCOMING SPIRIT DAYS Tuesday, Oct. 17th 4-8 p.m.

Panera Bread College Park Thursday, Oct. 19th 4-7 p.m.

Bahama Bucks on Kuykendahl *Bring a flyer—they will go home in Green Folders! Or you can find them online at: staopcs.org/spirit-days

PADUAN PARENTS HALLOWEEN SCIENCE DAY! Halloween Science Day is one of our most memorable days for the entire school. This day requires a lot of volunteers so please sign-up to help! Volunteers must be VIRTUS certified.

October 27th—Halloween Science Day Volunteering CARING HEARTS—PRIEST MEALS Join other school families and parishioners in helping to provide meals for our priests!

Caring Hearts—Meal Preparation for Priests PICTURE DAY PARENT VOLUNTEERS Help teachers and students on Picture Day October 11th – Picture Day Assistance

PRAYER INTENTIONS Let us pray for you! Next time you visit the front office stop by our new Prayer Intentions station. We will have a prayer intentions book where you can write down any intentions you want us to pray for.

You are also free to offer a prayer pearl that will be part of the offertory every school Mass.

ROSARY MONTH The month of October is dedicated to the Rosary, and after the Mass, the Rosary is the most powerful prayer at our disposal. St. John Paul II often said that the Rosary is a prayer of peace, and he encouraged families to pray the Rosary together. Please sign up for a day that your family will pray the Rosary together.

Sign-Up Genius—Family Rosary

PADUAN PARENT COLLECTION Be sure to check green folders for a letter from our Paduan Parent Coordinators about a one– time collection for Christmas & end–of–the– year teacher & staff giving. Please turn in donations as soon as possible! Thank you to everyone who has already contributed to this collection!

NURSE’S NOTES For the Week of 10–2–17 to 10–6–17: 09-29-17 10-03-17 10-05-17 10-05-17

8B 7B 6B KB

Strep Throat Fifth’s Disease Lice reported Staph infection/Impetigo

FALL CONFERENCES REGISTRATION Registration for Fall Conferences is done through PTC Wizard (http://staopcs.ptcwizard.com).  Registration will remain open until October 13th at noon.

ALL–SCHOOL NEWS 2017–2018 YEARBOOKS For the 2017–18 school year, yearbooks will only sold online at WWW.BALFOUR.COM. Yearbooks will be sold for $40 till December 31, 2017, and will be $45 till April 30, 2018. Yearbook ads can also be purchased and created at WWW.BALFOUR.COM. You will need to purchase and create your ad by April 30, 2018. If you are unable to create the ad in time, please contact Mr. Mattern at cmattern@staopcs.org for other options. Yearbook ads will be priced: 1/8 ($35), 1/4 ($50), 1/2 ($75), Full ($150). Ads will be purchased on a first come/first served basis.

PICTURE TAKING Mr. Mattern needs help with picture taking. If you are ever at a sporting event or school activity, please contact Mr. Mattern at cmattern@staopcs.org and he will invite you to add them to his DropBox account.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL The Basketball season is just around the corner and we need to know how many players we have! To play basketball this year please send in your commitment form located in Resources in ParentsWeb to Coach Quickel as soon as possible!

BOX TOPS  Box Tops are due by October 13th!  The Grade with the highest number of box tops collections this year will receive a FREE DRESS PASS!

1ST QUARTER STEWARDSHIP PROJECT It is very apparent that the effects of Hurricane Harvey continue to disrupt our region. Many families are still displaced from their permanent homes, and struggling through the process to rebuild their lives. We do not want to abandon those in need during this critical time so we are continuing to support Harvey Relief for our 1st quarter stewardship project.

HARVEY RELIEF  Non–perishable foods will be accepted for the St. Anthony's Bread Food Pantry. Students may place food on carts located in the front office when they arrive at school.  Gift cards to local retailers, grocery stores, and major hardware stores are also welcome— please turn into the front desk.  Additionally you can support the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School Harvey Relief Fund at: bit.ly/staopcs_harvey. All funds will be allocated specifically to help families affected in the STAOPCS community with tuition, fees, and before and after care so they can rebuild their lives.  Food & Gift Card collection will take place October 1—13th.

Thank you for helping us to focus on OTHERS in our theme of JOY: Jesus, Others, Yourself— and thank you for your support of these families in need.

ALL–SCHOOL NEWS CHARACTER COUNTS NOMINATIONS August—Reverence September—Respect 1st-3rd Reverence Elisa Mora Andrea Navarro Olivia Dykes Joshua Munoz Maren Held Ethan Blaschke Michael Vacek Amara Bacchus Tate LeMaster Nathan Coon Sarah Fedoruk Cecilia Nahigian Pablo Cavaluzzi Cameron Piefer

4th-8th Reverence Sydney Tajong Sarah Boyd Natalia Lorenzetti Molly Snipp Sofi De Aquirre Josie Domitrovic Camilo Correa Martina Lease Evie Fleming Giselle Pedraza

1st-3rd Respect Stella Greenleaf Lelis Schubert Isabella Colletti Nicholas Coon Johanna Cabriana Sammy White Clare McKenna Emilio Ibrahim Mireles Madison Vacek Madison Anderson Sienna Greenleaf Enrique Guzman Mariana Otero

4th-8th Respect Laura Hill Joaquin Hernandez Parks Colin Leahey Isabella Ibrahim Mireles Ben Fedoruk Nate Klie Ryan Leslie Jordan Booth Tyler Twellman

COUNSELOR’S CORNER BY JANAY O’CONNOR The character trait for October is Responsibility.

The social skills for October are “How to apologize”, and “How to accept decisions, corrections and consequences from authority and how to disagree appropriately.”

October Highlights  We kicked off the Knights of Columbus Red Ribbon poster contest on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. Deadline for submitting posters is on Wednesday, October 18, 2017. Students can stop by the counselor’s office or front office to pick up their poster boards and a copy of the rules for the contest.  St. John XXIII College Preparatory will be visiting our campus to talk with our 8th graders about their high school and all the wonderful opportunities they have available at their school.  Catholic High School Parent Information session is scheduled for Wednesday, October 18, 2016 at 8:15pm in the Parish Life Building room #205. Topics discussed include teacher recommendation process, school visits, entrance exams and high school expectations.  Red Ribbon Week is scheduled for October 23, 2017 to October 27, 2016. Our theme for this year is “I am Too Smart to Start” Join us as we celebrate the importance of making good choices and living a drug-free life! Be on the look-out for information about our theme days and Red Ribbon week activities.

Knights of Columbus Substance Abuse Awareness Poster Contest “I’m Too Smart to Start” October 23rd – October 27th, 2017 HELP DECORATE OUR SCHOOL FOR RED RIBBON WEEK! Students in 3rd through 8th grade are encouraged to design a poster that reflects either of these topics: Alcohol Awareness and Abuse or Drug Awareness and Abuse There will be four winners, one from each of the following categories:  3rd – 5th grade- Drug Awareness Winner  3rd – 5th grade- Alcohol Awareness Winner  6th – 8th grade-Drug Awareness Winner  6th – 8th grade-Alcohol Awareness Winner RULES:  Posters must reflect either the theme of Alcohol Awareness and Abuse or Drug Awareness and Abuse.  Each poster should be the original work (including concept, layout, slogan and any visual images) of a single person.  Posters must be 11X17 inches in size. Please stop by the counselor’s office or the front office to pick up your poster board paper.  The name, grade and age of the person entering the poster should be included on the back of the poster.

EACH OF THE WINNERS WILL RECEIVE A $25 GIFT CARD FROM BARNES & NOBLE. PLEASE TURN IN YOUR POSTERS TO THE COUNSELOR’S OFFICE, ROOM 119, BY WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17TH. If you have any questions, please contact Janay O’Connor at joconnor@staopcs.org or 832-482-4168

Coaching as Ministry Educational Program Coaches Clinic and Parent Workshop—Sunday, Oct. 15th Play Like a Champion Today provides leadership in a worldwide effort to renew the culture of sport for youth. It does this primarily by educating ethically responsible sport leaders--coaches, parents, students, and athletic administrators--who in turn will reach millions of young people.

Crafted by leaders in the fields of sports psychology, coaching education, Catholic theology, and moral development, Play Like a Champion Today is:   

Centered around the principles of justice, tolerance, respect, and solidarity Designed using the best athlete-centered practices supported by research into character development and faith formation through sports.

Originating at the University of Notre Dame and collaborating with concerned faculty and coaches throughout the country.

Play Like a Champion Today deals with tough sport issues and supports schools in promoting:  Athletics as Character-Building for Athletes and Families  Building Teams as Moral Communities *The Coaches Clinic will be held on  Champion-Centered Best Coaching & Parenting Practices Sunday, October 15 | 2—4 p.m.  Sportsmanship  Responsible Decision Making **Parent Workshop is: Sunday, October 15 | 4—5 p.m.

Over the course of the clinic, participants will learn about: St. Teresa Center Rm. 120.  The Spirituality of Sport  The GROW Approach to Athlete Motivation Questions? Please contact – Dale Quickel  Adolescent Development 281-296-0300, dquickel@staopcs.org  Promoting a Safe Sport Environment  Strategies for Developing Partnerships Between coaches and parents.

ADVANCEMENT INITIATIVES 2017-2018

FUND FOR ST. ANTHONY The Fund for St. Anthony is vitally important as St. Anthony Catholic School relies on income from charitable contributions to help reach a balanced budget each year.

The tuition your family pays each year covers operating expenses (salaries, supplies, and facility maintenance), but contributions to the Fund for St. Anthony make our school exceptional and unique by providing technology upgrades, learning support and memorable events.

The Fund for St. Anthony is made up of hundreds of gifts from St. Anthony of Padua parishioners, parents, alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends.

Each gift makes a tangible difference for our students!

Comm. Partners 2% Steps 4 Students 4% Giving By Living 6%

2017-2018 Advancement Goal: $320,600 Net

Fund for SA 49%

Auction Gala 39%

PLEASE NOTE: Each family enrolled at St. Anthony will receive a Fund for St. Anthony letter and a commitment card in the coming weeks. Please prayerfully review it and help us reach an ambitious goal of 100% participation.

LUCKY HEARTS AUCTION GALA

SAVE THE DATE:

FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2018 CHAIRS: Ana and Hal Brumfield, Gloria and Jose Ramirez Our 17th annual auction gala is an exciting evening for parents, friends and parishioners of St. Anthony of Padua! This year’s event will include cocktails, dinner, casino games, and silent and live auctions. Please contact advancement@staopcs.org if you are interested in joining this year's gala committee!

STEPS FOR STUDENTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2018 Imagine 13,000 people coming together in prayer and in support of Catholic education —that is Steps for Students! Steps for Students is an annual Archdiocesan-wide event where all school and parish communities can come together to support Catholic education. Steps for Students is a wonderful way to encourage students to participate in stewardship. This day of family fun includes a 5K USA Track and Field Association sanctioned race and postrace party.

Saturday, February 17, 2018

GIVING BY LIVING PARTNERS:

GIVING BY LIVING Through just living your life and making purchases, you will be raising money for your school and supporting the many outstanding social and academic programs at STAOPCS. These are some of the simplest ways to support our school!

COMMUNITY PARTNERS Our school would not exist without the support and engagement of our community members and businesses. Our Community Partner program consists of an annual commitment, which runs for the length of the 2017-2018 school year. Community Partners will receive invaluable benefits and unprecedented visibility within our school community.

Restaurant Spirit Days!

TO LEARN MORE: If you are interested in learning more about any of these opportunities contact: advancement@staopcs.org.

AROUND STAOPCS

Welcome back Alumni!

STAOPCS Parents and Teachers who traveled to Honduras for our Parish Mission Trip.

AROUND OUR PARISH Pet Blessing October 7th | 11:00 AM | In the Piazza We will commemorate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi with our Annual Pet Blessing! All pets invited to come (rain or shine). Pets and owners will receive a blessing. Pets are sprinkled with holy water and they will receive a special treat. In consideration of our pet owners, the blessing and distribution will take no more than 30 minutes. We hope you will attend!

BENEFITTING CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS OF AMERICAS | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2017 | 6 PM – 9:30 PM