Dear Parents and Guardians,
It has been a terrific Catholic Schools Week! Thank you to everyone for helping make all of our fun activities and events be such a huge success. Thank you Student Council and the Home and School Board for treating our teachers to delicious meals. Thank you Ms. Palmer for organizing Student Appreciation Day. Thanks to Ms. Casale for organizing the Knowledge Bowl. I am grateful to Mr. Shields, Mrs. Kee, and Mrs. Burris for preparing for our Open House! Thank you Mrs. Orensky for once again planning Spirit Day and several fun games for the students. Thank you to our parents for sending in canned goods as admission to the Parents/Staff versus 8th Grade Volleyball game. Our Knights of Columbus will take those canned goods and deliver them to those in need. I would also like to share my appreciation for our amazing teachers! Teaching in a Catholic School is a mission, not a job. We thank them for their continued dedication and commitment to Catholic education and academic excellence. Thank you to Father Nick, our Pastor, for kicking off our week with the opening Mass at 11:00 A.M. on Sunday. Father talked to us about remembering to find Jesus, especially in our dark places. He spoke about how we easily pray in our “comfort zone” when we are happy. He urged us to seek Jesus when we need Him most, in our dark times. This is a beautiful message with Lent approaching and as we continue with our Diocesan theme, “Merciful Like the Father.” Jesus, even as a youngster, went to preach in places where He was not welcome. He spent time with those who were considered unsavory. Jesus is comfortable with us, wherever we are. He is comfortable in our dark places. We simply have to welcome Him in. Perhaps if we pray when we are angry, unforgiving, jealous, anxious, or even hateful, He can bring us out of our darkness quicker than we could ourselves.
During the month of February we will continue to work on the Parables. Our focus this month will be on the Parable of the Two Debtors (Luke 7:36-50). This parable is a reminder of the unending forgivenesses from our Lord. It is a story of God’s mercy. We simply have to come to Him and ask for his forgiveness. There is no judgement, no comparison or weighting of our sins, and no conditions. In the story, the two debtors owe very different amounts of money. Neither could afford to pay their debt. However, both debts were “forgiven” equally and without conditions. God’s mercy is limitless. We simply have to ask! This is a nice reminder during Lent and a challenge for us to “simply forgive” each other with love and without judgement.
During Lent, please try to spend some time with us. On Ash Wednesday, join us for our traditional Grotto Pizza night. When trying to avoid eating meat, what is the best thing to eat on Fridays during Lent? Pizza, of course! We will continue with our regularly scheduled weekly Masses. All are always welcome to attend any school Mass. These occur almost every Friday, unless there is a Holy Day we celebrate during that same week. We attend and participate in Stations of the Cross on Friday afternoons during Lent. Please visit the school website calendar. Also, check out our Via Crucis on Friday nights! For those of you who are new to us, this is a beautiful living Stations of the Cross that takes place on Friday nights. Many of our students are active participants in the Via Crucis. I have many fond childhood memories of my Via Crucis years. Many of our high school and college students return to participate or simply observe, quietly judging to see if the current person is playing “their” role better than they did when “they were young.”
Congratulations to our 8th Grade scholarship recipients! Caroline Achenbach earned an academic scholarship and Robin Land earned a leadership scholarship to my alma mater, Padua Academy. Miranda Evans earned academic scholarships to both St. Elizabeth High School and Padua Academy. Nicholas Muzzi earned a leadership scholarship to St. Mark’s High School. We are so proud of your hard work and achievement! I had the pleasure of attending both academic scholarship receptions last week. It was so nice to see our former students now serving on National Honor Society at St. Elizabeth High School. They were proud to talk about their accomplishments, both athletic and academic. One former student/athlete, Marc Brown, is the President of the National Honor Society and has earned a substantial scholarship to DeSales University, where he plans to also run track. At Padua, it was wonderful to hear the students talk about the 4 S’s: Sisterhood, Service, Scholarship, and Spirituality. We are so proud of our current and former students!
School News
Congratulations to the following students for winning the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS DELAWARE STATE COUNCIL Jerry E. Dawson PSD Memorial 20th Annual Vocation Essay Contest for 2015-2016! All Catholic Elementary Schools were invited to participate. The essay topics and winners are:
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5th Grade – My Unforgettable Story About A Priest, Nun, Religious Brother, or Deacon – Neha George
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6th Grade – Five Character Traits That I Admire In A Priest, Nun, Religious Brother or Deacon – Cara Quinlan
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7th Grade – Life Style Changes That Must Be Made For A Religious Vocation – Rachel Tomlinson
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8th Grade – Why We Need Dedicated Leaders In The Religious Life Today – Robin Land
Each winner received a certificate for the student and both parents to attend the St. Pius X Council dinner. A $50 gift certificate and plaques are awarded to each State winner. They will also be invited to read their essays on “The Catholic Forum of the Air” radio program.
Congratulations to our January students of the month! The virtue for the month of January was justice. Congratulations to the following students – PreSchool 3 – Amber Matarese, PreSchool 4 – Scarlett Miller, Kindergarten – Emily Andersen, 1st Grade – Gideon Keen, 2nd Grade – Max Conway, 3rd Grade – Richie Jakotowicz, 4th Grade – Connor Quinlan, 5th Grade – Emily Anderson, 6th Grade – Luke Burdett, 7th Grade – Tori Alberti, and 8th Grade – Caroline Achenbach.
St. Anthony’s Night at the Delaware 87s – Thank you to all the parents and staff who supported our Antonians at the Delaware 87s Game last Saturday night! Mr. Colligan and the Antonians did an excellent job singing “God Bless America” before the start of the game. As always, the support of our parents and staff was truly amazing. We had 150 members of our school community in attendance to support the Antonians!
Catholic Schools Week – On Monday afternoon, we were honored to attend a brief ceremony at the office of Mayor Williams to begin Catholic Schools Week. Mayor Williams provided an official proclamation from the City of Wilmington honoring all Catholic schools for their work to provide a faith-based and academically rigorous education. Representing St. Anthony’s was: 5th Graders Emily Anderson and Neha George, 6th Grader Ben Demosthene, and 7th Grader Jaidon Godlewski. Padua Academy was also there with us including St. Anthony graduate Ellen Banker.
Declamation – On Saturday, February 6th, four students will be representing St. Anthony’s at the Spartan Speech Classic at St. Mark’s High School. The students representing St. Anthony’s are Neha George (5th Grade), Emily Anderson (5th Grade), Henry Kelleher (6th Grade), and Caroline Achenbach (8th Grade). Good luck, students!
NEEDED: Host Families for our Italian visitors in May! – Please consider hosting a teacher or a parent and child from Italy! This is a wonderful cultural opportunity for your child/children. If you host a family this May, you will be able to visit Italy next year and stay free for 7-10 days in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, Olevano, Italy. I cannot say enough about the kindness and hospitality of my Italian hosts and the many hosts of the past. They outdo us every year. You are treated like royalty there and are made to feel like a part of the family and small town of Olevano. When hosting a family here, you and your children are invited to join them for their many exciting activities, ranging from trips to New York City and Philadelphia, to local government offices and gardens. The bonds of friendship span generations. Please contact me at jwhite@stanthonynet.org if you are interested or have any questions. Grazie!
Dine at Red Robin and Help St. Anthony’s – Red Robin has a program called “Burgers for Better Schools”. Every time you eat at Red Robin and provide your card, our school can earn money. You can sign up at the restaurant or online at www.redrobin.com/betterschools for their royalty card. You will also earn rewards and coupons for your family. A flyer will be sent home on Wednesday, and a link will be on our website. If you eat at Red Robin, please consider signing up. Thank you for your support!
Home and School Association/YAC News
YAC Student Advisory Board – The YAC board is looking for a few students to participate on our Student Advisory Board. The Student Advisory Board will meet with the YAC board to provide feedback and ideas on youth activities, community service, and athletics for our school. This board is open for students in 5th through 8th grade. Each student will submit one brief paragraph explaining their vision for the advisory board and why they would like to participate. Playing sports is not a prerequisite. Please include the student’s’ name and current grade. All entries must be submitted to the school office by 2/12/16.
Spring Sports Sign-Up -Spring Sports Sign-ups are continuing this month. Please note that we will need to let CYM know if we plan to have a softball, track, and baseball team, so please sign up early! Just to clarify: Softball is open to 6th – 8th Grade, baseball is open to 6th – 8th Grade, and track is open to Kindergarten – 8th Grade.
Tiger Tournament – Our 3rd/4th Grade boys team made an excellent showing during their appearances in the Tiger Tournament. Currently 2 of our JV (5th/6th) teams are in the hunt for the Tiger Tournament Championship trophy! The Varsity (7th/8th) tournament is February 8th – 19th. Senior Boys tournament runs February 22nd – 26th. Please come out and support our kids!
Glow in the Dark Middle School Dance – Saturday, February 6th – St. Anthony’s Home and School will be having a Glow in the Dark Middle School Dance (for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders only) in the school gym from 7:00 P.M.– 10:00 P.M. A DJ will be providing dance music. Cost is $10.00 per student. Flyers and the two permission slips required to attend will be going home shortly with the middle school students. Middle school students are allowed to bring a friend from another school. Please note, no child will be admitted without the TWO necessary permission slips and the admission fee. Let’s make this dance a great event that is well attended. Our Home and School Association was recently informed about a middle school student at All Saints Catholic School that has been diagnosed with cancer, so we decided that all the proceeds from this Middle School Dance will be donated to that child and their family. Wear your White or Neon and come out for a night of fun. SPREAD THE WORD!!
Grotto Pizza Night – Wednesday, February 10th – 4:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. – Pennsylvania Avenue Grotto Pizza. Come enjoy some food and fun at Grotto Pizza on Pennsylvania Avenue and a portion of what you spend will be donated back to St. Anthony’s Home and School. Look for the flyer with coupons to come home with the students soon. Please present the coupon when you dine in or take out on the 10th. As always, thanks for your support.
Technology Beef and Beer – On March 12th, come join the Home and School Association in the Ballad Room for an evening of good food, good music, and good fun. Tickets are on sale until March 2nd for $25.00, from March 3rd – March 11th, they are $30.00. Please see any Home and School Board member for tickets.
Box Tops/Labels for Education collection and competition – Please send in your Box Tops and Labels for Education to your student’s class from now until February 19th. The class with the most collected will enjoy a Pajama Day and breakfast. The class that collects the second most will enjoy an ice cream treat at lunch. Please keep saving! Thank you for making this a great fundraiser for our school and our students. Good Luck to all the classes!
Business Office News
Tax Statements Available Through FACTs -Families using the FACTs program can quickly and easily create a payment summary of their account. This is especially helpful to our Preschool families. By simply clicking “View Printable Payments Summary” on the Payments tab, you can retrieve and print a summary of payments for the 2015 year or any other specified timeframe. Each payment summary contains the date range, family name, subaccounts, and the school’s Federal Tax ID number.
Financial Aid – The deadline to apply for financial aid for the upcoming school year is March 7th. Please contact the business office with any questions.
Parish News
Parish Monthly Social – All parishioners and friends are invited to the parish monthly social to be held on Sunday, February 7th, immediately following the 9:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. Masses. The social will be held in the Ballad Room of St. Anthony’s Grade School. Enjoy some great refreshments and spend some time with other members of our parish community. We hope to see you there!
Upcoming Important Dates
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February 7th – Parish Social after the 9:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. Mass – Ballad Room
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February 8th – Student Council Meeting – Pre-School Room – 3:00 – 3:30 P.M.
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February 10th – Ash Wednesday Mass – Church – 8:00 A.M.
- YAC General Meeting – Ballad Room –6:00 P.M.
- Grotto’s Night – Pennsylvania Avenue – 4:00 – 9:00 P.M.
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February 11th – Kindergarten Field Trip – Playhouse Theater
- School Spelling Bee – Gym –1:30 P.M.
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February 12th – SCHOOL CLOSED – Middle States Planning Day
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February 15th – SCHOOL CLOSED – Presidents Day
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February 19th – Stations of the Cross – Church – 2:00 P.M.
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February 22nd – Student Council Meeting – Pre-School Room – 3:00- 3:30 P.M.
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February 24th – Noon Dismissal – Professional Development
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February 25th – Bishop’s Visit – 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
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February 26th – 6th/7th Grade Field Trip – Padua Academy “Footloose” – 9:00 – 11:00 A.M.
- Stations of the Cross- Church- 2:00 P.M.
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February 29th – Student Council Meeting – Pre-School Room – 3:00 – 3:30 P.M.
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March 3rd – Spring Pictures
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March 4th – End of Trimester 2
- Stations of the Cross – Church – 2:00 P.M.
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March 7th – March 11th – Terra Nova Testing
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March 9th – YAC Meeting – Ballad Room – 6:00 P.M.
- Home and School Meeting – Ballad Room –6:30 P.M.
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March 11th – Stations of the Cross – Church – 2:00 P.M.
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March 12th – Home and School Beef and Beer – Ballad Room – 6:30 P.M.
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7th Grade Placement Test – Padua Academy – 8:30 -11:30 A.M.
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March 13th – 7th Grade Placement Test – Padua Academy – 1:00 – 4:00 P.M.
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March 14th – Student Council – Preschool Room – 3:00 – 3:30 P.M.
- First Eucharist Meeting – Ballad Room – 6:15 P.M.
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March 15th – Reconciliation – 2nd, 3rd, 4th Grade – Church – 9:30 A.M.
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March 16th – Reconciliation – 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Grade – Church – 9:30 A.M.
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March 17th – Rocky Reading Challenge/Rocky Bullwinkle Visit – Ballad Room – 1:30 -2:30 P.M.
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5th Grade Field Trip – Franklin Institute – 8:30 A.M. – 2:15 P.M.
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March 18th – Stations of the Cross – Church – 2:00 P.M.
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March 19th – CYM Pilgrimage – 10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.
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March 20th – Parish Easter Egg Hunt – After 11:00 A.M. Mass
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March 21st – Student Council Meeting – Preschool Room – 3:00 – 3:30 P.M.
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March 24th – April 3rd –School Closed – Easter Vacation
Blessings,
Mrs. White
“The Lord always forgives us and walks at our side. We have to let Him do that.” – Pope Francis
“The Lord never gets tired of forgiving us. It is we who get tired of asking for forgiveness.”- Pope Francis