The Messenger - December 16, 2016

THE MESSENGER December 16, 2016 staopcs.org

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:14

MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATION Dear St. Anthony of Padua Families, Christmas Break is here! We often remark on how quickly time has flown by since August. But we also talk about how wonderful the year has been, how much we have accomplished already, and how we see and feel God's presence with us each and every day. Our culture of discipleship is alive and well. Sunday marks the 4th week of Advent and we are all anxiously awaiting Christmas and the celebration of Christ's birth.

Our discipleship message this week is about setting aside time to be holy. Advent is a great time to change old habits and begin new ones that bring us closer to Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, "You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God." Holy doesn't mean being perfect or thinking of ourselves as better than others. Being holy simply means setting ourselves apart for sacred use - for Jesus to work in and through us. Jesus wants us to spend quiet moments with him so He can work in our hearts and minds. It is during those quiet times that He is creating the person He designed each one of us to be. When we take time to be holy, our hearts become clean temples for the Holy Spirit. Jesus is able to do more in and through us than we could ever ask for or imagine.

Thank you to those who have completed the survey on the Feasibility of Full-Day PreK for our school. The survey is open in ParentsWeb© until 4:00 pm this afternoon. January will be busier than ever. We will be gearing up for our celebration of National Catholic Schools Week at the end of the month and for the opening of registration for '17-'18. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, January 18th. Administration and Advancement will be hosting a new year Mission Matters coffee for school families before Mass. The topic will be “Celebrating & Communicating”. We’ll celebrate the successes and accomplishments of the fall and share with you information on important topics and upcoming events. Check upcoming editions of The Messenger for more details. You’ll also want to check for information on Love & Logic© parenting sessions and more as the second half of the year gets underway.

We want to thank everyone for the generosity shared during the holidays. We, along with the members of our staff have received such wonderful goodies, treats, notes, gifts, prayers, etc.

All are reminders of how blessed we are to be a part of the SAOPCS community. The start of a new year will bring the opportunity to start fresh, to make resolutions that make us better people, and to live out our call to be disciples. We are all looking forward to the spring semester and what 2017 will bring. May God's blessings be yours through the remainder of Advent, Christmas and the New Year!

Reneé B. Nunez

Susan Leddy

Kendall Shamas

Principal

Assistant Principal

Assistant Principal

2017–2018 Registration Information Campus Tours of Common Areas

Registration Timeline

Thursday, January 12 | 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, January 19 | 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, January 26 | 10:00 a.m.

Monday, January 23 | Registration Opens for Returning Families Wednesday, February 1 | Registration Closes for Returning Families Monday, February 6 | Registration Opens for New Students Wednesday, February 15 | Registration Closes for New Students Saturday, February 25 | Screening Day for New Student Applicants Friday, March 10 | Decision Emails Sent

Future Family Open House Thursday, February 2 | 6:30 p.m.

January 2016 Calendar Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

19

20

21

22

23

C HRISTMAS B REAK— N O S CHOOL 26

27

28

29

30

C HRISTMAS B REAK— N O S CHOOL 2

3

4

5

Staff Development Day

3rd Quarter begins

Banking Day

Mass, 9 a.m Steps for Students

C H R I S T M A S B R E A K — N O S C H O O L Registration Day!

9 Parent–led Rosary, 8:15 a.m.

10

6

$5 Student Council Jr. Master Gardener (K– Free Dress Day benefiting CASA 2nd), 3:45—5:15 p.m.

Hope New Year’s Party for Steps for Students registrants

11

12

Parent–led Rosary (en Español), 2:30 p.m.

Campus Tours, 10 a.m.

Love & Logic, 1 p.m.

13

Mrs. Nunez’s Birthday is Sat., Jan. 14th!

ALL–SCHOOL NEWS Mission Matters: Points of Discussion (POD) will be returning in January!

PRE–K SURVEY We are asking you to take a few minutes to complete this brief survey about the feasibility of moving from our current part–time pre– kindergarten program to full–day.

Your opinion is important to us. Thank you for your commitment to our school.

Mission Matters: POD is a parent–seminar series that is presented by our Administration.

“Communicate & Celebrate” January 18th, 2017 8:15 a.m.

Login in to ParentsWeb> Surveys > Feasibility of Full–Day Pre–K to complete. Thank you!

DECEMBER WRITING LEADERS 2 -Jacob Dickinson, Sarah Fedoruk, Abbey Franke, Kimberly Mallet, Edu Arana, Valentino Correa, Oliver Hazos, Audrey Maurac, McKenzie Schmittauer, Maddi Vacek nd

GRATITUDE REPORT 2015–2016 An annual report of thanks and gratitude recognizing the supporters of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School during the 2015–2016 school year is now available online. Click here to read: Gratitude Report 2015–2016

Join us for coffee and a preview of our 2nd half of the year!

NURSE’S NOTES 12/09/16

2B

Strep Throat

12/14/16

Several Grades

several reports of stomach bug

12/15/16

PK4 PM

Strep Throat

ATHLETICS—SOFTBALL ATTENTION 6TH, 7TH & 8TH GRADE GIRLS: Due to the construction on the SAOPCS new Athletic Fields, softball games will be at Alden Bridge Sports fields located at 4751 Texas 242, The Woodlands, TX 77382.

We need to know how many SAOPCS 6th, 7th & 8th grade girls are planning to play softball this spring. No experience is necessary. Practice will start the first of February.

If you are interested in playing softball for St. Anthony of Padua this spring please let Coach Quickel know as soon as possible.

CHRISTMAS APPRECIATION THANK YOU! Thank you sincerely for all of the gifts and contributions to the Christmas Stocking. Your generosity and kindness goes unmatched. May God fill your life with love, joy and peace this Christmas and throughout the New Year.

Thank you to our Paduan Parents Mr. & Mrs. Snipp for Championing the Christmas Celebrations today—they are delivering cookies and juice boxes for students to enjoy in their classroom parties.

SUPER KIDS—SUPER SHARING Sports equipment, book and school supply donation project St. Anthony of Padua has teamed up with the National Football League, the Houston Texans, the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, Verizon and the Houston Texans YMCA for a Super Bowl community initiative that benefits local children in need. We are taking part in a Super Bowl donation project called Super Kids-

Super Sharing.

What are we collecting?

New or gently used :  Books  Sports equipment  School supplies  Games

Our school is collecting gently used (or new) books, sports equipment, school supplies and games.

Donated items will be distributed to local schools and youth programs that serve children in need.

Cell phones that are no longer being used are also being collected as part of ongoing work with Verizon’s HopeLine® program. Donated cell phones will be reconditioned to benefit local shelters and domestic violence prevention programs.

Please check your closets, toy boxes and garage for balls, gloves, cleats and other sports equipment you are no longer using, and take a moment to clear unwanted books and games off your shelves.

 Cell phones

Now through January 13th bring those items to school and place them in collection boxes located near the school entrance.

Deadline: January 13!

Join us, as the Super Kids here at St. Anthony of Padua, share with others and make a difference in the lives of local children this Super Bowl season.

If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Morris or any of our Angels Cheerleaders. Thank you!

STEPS FOR STUDENTS

FEBRUARY 18TH, 2017 What is Steps for Students?

Steps for Students 5K Run/Walk welcomes runners and walkers of all ages across the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston to enjoy a USATF sanctioned 5K race and day of family fun in support of our Catholic schools!

Why should we participate in Steps for Students?

Because you know that Catholic schools are making a difference in the lives of our students and in our communities. By registering to run and joining a team you can designate your registration fee and any pledges you collect to benefit St. Anthony of Padua’s team.

Steps for Students School–Wide Goals 50 team registrants: Steps for Students student registrants will silly string administration on an episode of DNN (Dolphin News Network) 75+ team registrants: All students will enjoy a week of music at lunch STEPS FOR STUDENTS EVENTS: On–site Steps for Students Registration Wednesday, January 4th Join the Advancement Department on campus all day to sign up to participate on the STAOPCS Steps for Students team. We will assist you in registering for the race and setting up your fundraising page!

New Year’s Party for Steps for Students Registrants Friday, January 6th All registered participants (as of 1/5/17) on the STAOPCS Steps for Students team will be invited to a New Year’s Party in the AMR from 7:40 – until after morning announcements. We will celebrate with music, balloons, small giveaways, breakfast tacos and milk!

How do I sign–up?

Free Shoe Day Friday, February 10th

Online Registration for Steps for Students is now open—click here to register!

All students are encouraged to wear shoes of their choice (following dress code guidelines) to show support for Steps for Students and Catholic education.

NEW THIS YEAR: A generous benefactor has underwritten a bus to shuttle the St. Anthony of Padua Team from the school to the event on Race Day. There is room for the first 50 race registrants to ride on the bus!

$5 Free Dress Day Benefitting the STAOPCS Team Friday, February 17th All students will be encouraged to bring $5 for free dress to show their support of the STAOPCS Steps for Students team.

Steps Participation Day Tuesday, February 21st All students who participated in the Steps for Students 5K on Saturday, February 18, 2017, (either walking/running or volunteering) will be encouraged to wear their Steps shirt/jeans/shoes of their choice (following dress code guidelines) to school.

GIVING PROGRAMS KEEP COLLECTING BOX TOPS! How to Participate:  The link will take you to a list of participating products; many you probably already use. http:// www.boxtops4education.com/earn/participating– products  A collection box is located in the lobby to drop in bags or sheets. Box tops may be sent to school any time.  Our deadline for our next contest is February 6th!

Don’t forget AmazonSmile when doing your Christmas Shopping!

Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.

AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Support St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School by shopping at: http:// smile.amazon.com/ch/76–0652692

FUND FOR ST. ANTHONY Congratulations to Mrs. Birsinger’s class (1A) for achieving 100% participation in the Fund for St. Anthony! They are excited to celebrate with a pizza & dance party when they get back from break.

Q: My family is already paying tuition. How does my child benefit when we make a gift to the Fund for St. Anthony as well?

A: Your financial contribution to the Fund for St. Anthony supports the people and programs that make St. Anthony of Padua the great school that it is: talented teachers, enriching arts and athletics programs, library and instructional resources, technology, and much more. Your child’s education is financed by both your tuition and your Fund for St. Anthony gift. Because tuition only covers approximately 84% of our operating budget, charitable gifts are a necessary part of St. Anthony of Padua’s healthy financial profile. Unlike tuition, contributions to the Fund for St. Anthony are 100% taxdeductible and allow each family to give at the level at which they are able.

HELP OUR STUDENTS CELEBRATE OUR SUCCESS! When we reach our Fund for St. Anthony school– wide goals this year students will be able to celebrate too! $40,000 –15 minutes of extra recess GOAL MET! $80,000 – Free Dress Day GOAL MET! $120,000 – Ice Cream at Lunch—ALMOST THERE! $150,000 – Free Dress with Kona Ice

FUND FOR ST. ANTHONY Mr. and Mrs. William Evans Alicia and Mark Filley Matt and Jill Gregory Mr. and Mrs. Thor Gunnlaugsson Mr. Gordon Kloesel Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Martinez Eva and Patrick McKenna Mr. and Mrs. Brett Merritt The Nunez Family Mr. and Mrs. Steve Parsons Mr. and Mrs. Michael Thompson Mr. and Mrs. William Walker

Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Dalton Mr. and Mrs. Mauricio Ramirez Deacon Baldy’s Ms. Courtney Dewlen Mr. and Mrs. Rodrigo De Azevedo Mr. and Mrs. Michael Dohm Ms. Emily Domingo Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dompnier Mr. and Mrs. Perry Dueitt Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Dykes THE LEADERSHIP SOCIETY Mrs. Suzanne Ettman Partners in Mission Dr. and Mrs. Mark Filley Shaune Stauffer Tammy and Carey Fishman Ms. Laura Foy Friends of St. Anthony Principal's Guild Mr. and Mrs. Eduardo Betancourt Dr. and Mrs. Peter Gambertoglio Melony and B.J. Bergeron Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Giannotti Anna Marie and Paul Carroll Lan and Steven Brady Mr. and Mrs. Mark Glanville Mr. and Mrs. Matthew White Heidi and John Bong Ms. Kari Golden Dr. and Mrs. Robert Cook–Norris Mr. and Mrs. Greg Childress Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Gregory Mr. and Mrs. Paul Coleman Mr. and Mrs. Zoltan Hazos Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Harwood The Delangel–Aguilar Family Mr. and Mrs. Mario Mendez Mr. Daniel Hayden The Enia Family Mr. and Mrs. Matt Hebert Kathleen Graff Beacon of Light Mr. and Mrs. John Held Paula and Mark Lee Mr. and Mrs. David Doucet Mr. and Mrs. Francisco Melchiorre Mr. and Mrs. Doug Hill Mr. and Mrs. Shane Fruge Betty and David Hollas Stacey and Brett Merritt Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Girotto Mr. and Mrs. Joey Holmes Mr. and Mrs. Mitsutaka Nakao The Hardham Family Tracy and Samir Honnekeri Mr. and Mrs. Joe Newcomb Mr. and Mrs. Danny Word Mrs. Ramona Ortiz–Stamps Circle of Saints Mr. and Mrs. Clint Johnson The Richards Family Anonymous (2) Mr. and Mrs. Pete Johnson Mary and Mike Ross The Abib Family Mr. and Mrs. Babu Kuttarappallil Kendall and Mark Shamas Ileana and Alfredo Amparan Mr. Thomas Juranek Mr. and Mrs. William Stamps Abby and Geoff Beatty Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Kemp Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stevens Carey and Michael Bell Mr. and Mrs. John Kiliddjian The Strecker Family Angela and Mark Coscio Mr. and Mrs. Jay Kinch Mr. and Mrs. Fergie Theriault Mr. and Mrs. Rodrigo De Aguirre Miss Skyler Knight Mr. and Mrs. Brian Usner Sarah and Joe Fedele Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Knopp Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Waterman Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Fedoruk Mr. and Mrs. Michael Koett Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Whatley Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Franklin Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kowalchuk Mr. and Mrs. Matthew White Mr. and Mrs. Karl Hansen Melita and Neven Krstulovic Opara Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wilson The Hernandez–Parks Family Mr. and Mrs. Babu Kuttarappallil Mr. and Mrs. Lane Lease Supporters of St. Anthony The Kwiatkowski Family The Lorenzetti Family Mary Beth and Joel Larkin Anonymous (3) The Martin Family Mr. and Mrs. Shane Leahey Mrs. Charlotte Aldrich Catherine and Mark Miller Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Leddy Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Alvey Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Nahigian Mr. and Mrs. Miguel Otero Mr. and Mrs. Danny Amador Mr. and Mrs. Navarro Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Leslie Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Bartels Mr. and Mrs. Nate Olsen Mr. and Mrs. Steve Long Mr. and Mrs. Darryl Bayer The Hardham Family Mr. Steve Long and Mrs. Susan Smith Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Beatty The Hernandez–Parks Family LouLou's Beignets Mr. and Mrs. Chris Bierbaum Dr. and Dr. Jason Piefer Mr. and Mrs. Jaime Loyo Pam and Ronnie Bilnoski Mr. and Mrs. Jason Rivers Mr. and Mrs. Lane Lyons Mr. and Mrs. Tony Birsinger D’Ette and Frank Sommers Mr. and Mrs. Brian Mackenzie Ms. Cortney Bishop Mr. and Mrs. David Tressel Miss Kimberly Mallet Mr. and Mrs. Tim Booth Mr. and Mrs. Brian Velardo Mr. and Mrs. Tony Marchbanks Mr. and Mrs. Mark Boyd Mr. and Mrs. Brian Wells Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Marsan Mr. and Mrs. John Brandon Lynice and Michael Wing Marie Mater Mr. and Mrs. Hal Brumfield Mr. and Mrs. Bart Wittmer Mr. and Mrs. Cristofer Mattern Mr. and Mrs. Craig Burch Mr. and Mrs. Clay McCollor Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Carson PADUAN PATRONS Mr. and Mrs. Mark Mckinney Mr. Nestor Cayanan Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Miller Blue & Green Club Mr. and Mrs. James Cooper Courtnie and Kevin Mims Marianne and Mark Baca Crust Pizza Alden Bridge Mrs. Sarah Mixon Mr. and Mrs. Eric Burbage Mr. and Mrs. Dan Cunningham Mr. and Mrs. Craig Moorman Rosalia and Brian Burke Ms. Liz Curtin

Miss Cadence Moorman Dr. and Mrs. Michael Morris Mr. and Mrs. Ken Motsenbocker Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Mullis Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Naeher Brigitte and Nguyen Nguyen Ms. Carah Nunez Mr. and Mrs. Tommy O'Connor Mr. and Mrs. Daniel O'Hare Mr. and Mrs. Cesar Ortiz Garza Mr. and Mrs. Fazil Osman Mr. and Mrs. Miguel Otero Mr. Toby Pacheco Mr. and Mrs. John Page Panera Bread Ms. Kristi Parks Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Walker Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Pavlock Mr. and Mrs. Michael Pawelek Ms. Selina Perez Nicole Petillo Aida and Robert Picone Miss Chloe Porras Ms. Meghan Preuss Mr. and Mrs. Dale Quickel Fr. Tom Rafferty Mr. and Mrs. Jose Ramirez Mr. and Mrs. Mauricio Ramirez Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Reyes Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rios Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo Roblesgil Mr. and Mrs. Gaston Rodriguez Mr. and Mrs. Rolando Rodriguez Ms. Christina Samay Mr. and Mrs. Miguel Sanchez Mr. and Mrs. Raul Sanchez Leon Mr. and Mrs. Don Schenk School Advisory Committee Shankz Golf Mr. and Mrs. Michael Selles Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Smith STAOPCS Student Council Mr. and Mrs. David Stevens Judi Strapp Kelly and Brett Sturgeon Mr. and Mrs. Tajong Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Toomey Mr. and Mrs. Brian Twellman Mr. and Mrs. Valerio Mr. and Mrs. Tom Vicknair Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Walker Mr. and Mrs. Barton West Mr. and Mrs. George Williams Mr. and Mrs. Harry Winslow Ms. Cathy Wogan Mr. and Mrs. Danny Word Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Wunch Mr. and Mrs. Ken Yu Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Zion

16TH ANNUAL GALA Today (December 16th) is the last day to purchase Gala tickets for a discounted price!

Individual Ticket Pre–sale: $150 $99 until Dec. 16th!

NEW! Paduan Patrons (Available to STAOPCS families, alumni & parishioners only): $500 $400 until Dec. 16th!  Two reserved seats for the Gala  Invitation to the Gala pre–party from 6–6:30 p.m. with a private showing of auction items Interested in hosting a Sign-up Party for this year’s Gala?

Contact advancement@staopcs.org by January 3rd.

Sign-Up parties will launch January 9th!

What is a sign-up party?

A Sign-Up party is hosted by a STAOPCS family for STAOPCS families and can be adult- or child-centered.

The host covers the cost of the party and plans the party.

 Recognition and family name on the Gala site and sponsor page of the auction catalog  Specially–designed gift Pre-sale tickets are available at the school office until 2:15 p.m. today or can be purchased online with a credit or debit at 501auctions.com/staopcs

Don’t miss out on this special pricing!

8TH GRADE CLASS GIFT

AROUND STAOPCS

Christmas Programs were a JOY! Band, Choir, Kindergarten & 1st grade did an awesome performance! Thank you to everyone who attended.

AROUND OUR PARISH

Saturday, December 24 Christmas Eve Mass 3:30 pm Caroling with Children's Choirs 4:00 pm Mass 6:30 pm Mass 9:00 pm Mass 11:00 pm Traditional Christmas Carols with Choir 12:00 am Midnight Mass Sunday, December 25* Christmas Day Mass 7:00 am, 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm (Spanish), and 6:00 pm (not Life Teen Mass) *We will follow the regular Sunday Mass schedule on Christmas Day. Saturday, December 31 Vigil – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God A Holy Day of Obligation.

5:00 pm Vigil Mass Sunday, January 1* Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God A Holy Day of Obligation.

7:00 am, 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm (Spanish), and 6:00 pm (Life Teen) *We will follow the regular Sunday Mass schedule.