We are sending Tiger Talk a week early because next week is a busy and fun week for Catholic schools everywhere. Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebration of Catholic education that was established in 1974. Each day of Catholic Schools Week is used to celebrate a different group with activities and events. This year’s Catholic Schools Week theme is“Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community.” Catholic Schools Week is a favorite week for many students and staff. A paper was sent home on Wednesday with the schedule for the week, but I will note a few of the special events for you.
Sunday, 1/28 – We are celebrating our parish by inviting school families to attend 11am Mass, with students wearing their school uniforms. The Antonians will be singing.
Monday, 1/29 – We will celebrate our community by collecting canned goods for the St. Patrick Center. We will be collecting canned goods all week. Tuesday, 1/30 – We are celebrating our students by inviting everyone to wear their pajamas and have a cozy day at school with some surprises during the day. We will also be partaking in the first Diocesan Mascot Dance Off! Wednesday, 1/31 – We will be celebrating the nation by writing letters or making cards for Service Members and First Responders.
Thursday, 2/1 – Students will celebrate vocations by making cards for the Oblates House and Assisi House. This is also Spirit Day with activities happening in the gym throughout the day. All students should wear their gym uniforms and sneakers!
Friday, 2/2 – We are celebrating our volunteers by having our CommunityBuilders Mass, when we recognize people who have been a great help to ourschool and parish. We will also celebrate our faculty and staff with a special treat for them.
Saturday, 2/3 – We hope to celebrate families by sharing pictures you sendtoMs. Abby with our school community.
We are looking forward to a fun and exciting week!
Day of Giving – February 29th (Leap Day)
Help us “leap” into our future and our next 70 years! We are counting on your support for our first ever Day of Giving to support our school. We have not had our Annual Giving Fund for the past three years. This money has been missing from our budget. As we continue to grow and improve this campus, we would love to have 100% participation for this special day. As we celebrate our 70th birthday as a school, consider helping us reach our $70,000 goal. Consider donating the traditional $100 that we had as our annual book bill/giving fund donation. We are one of the few (if only) schools that do not have multiple additional fees tacked onto tuition. This donation is tax-deductible. If you can‘t do the $100 donation, consider $70 for 70 years. No dollar amount is too small. Every dollar counts toward our 100% participation goal. See if your company will match the amount you donate. Most banks will participate and donate to a non-profit organization. All the money raised on this Day of Giving goes directly to our school where it will be used to make improvements for our building and support additional programming for our students.
Congratulations to 8th Graders NuNu Chen and Nora Farrell! NuNu received an academic scholarship to Padua Academy and Nora received academic scholarships to Padua Academy and Ursuline Academy. Congratulations to our Knights of Columbus Essay Winners! Their essays will be eligible for inclusion in the statewide competition. Congratulations to Olivia Kapa – 5th Grade, Katelyn McLaughlin – 6th Grade, Delaney Loyola – 7th Grade, and Rocco Priest – 8th Grade! Students received $20 gift cards from the Knights of Columbus.
Faithful Friends Donations Update
Thank you to all families who contributed to our Adopt-A-Pet event. We raised $600 for Faithful Friends through this event! It‘s especially great because Faithful Friends will be matching the school‘s donation, further doubling the positive impact on their mission. We are so thankful that so many of you contributed to this fundraiser. The enthusiasm of both students and teachers for their new “pets” adds an extra layer of joy to the event. Not only does this fundraiser help provide financial support, but it also created a sense of community involvement and compassion for animals. Thank you for making this event a success and contributing to a worthy cause!
School Updates
If you have been inside the school building recently, you may have noticed an annoying beeping in the main lobby. We are in the process of upgrading our entire fire panel which requires new wiring throughout the building. Security Instruments has been onsite the past two weeks, working diligently, tunneling and drilling through walls and ceilings to feed these new wires. They have done a great job and the new wires blend in beautifully with the traditional furniture and amazing tiles. I want to give a special thanks to Mr. Shields for overseeing this massive and expensive project, totaling $75,000.
Reminder
Friday, February 16 is a noon dismissal with NO AFTERCARE and school will be closed on Monday, February 19 in observance of Presidents Day.
Church Updates
If you have recently attended Mass or visited our church, you may have noticed railings have been installed on the altar. The sound system and live streaming capabilities in the church have also been upgraded. These upgrades were done using donations to the church and parish.
Ash Wednesday – February 14, 2024
The season of Lent begins on Wednesday, February 14th. Our theme this year is “Loving our Lord throughout Lent.” Look forward to the student-created theme. We will be attending a parish prayer service at 12pm to receive ashes. Everyone, regardless of religion, is welcome to receive ashes.
Financial Assistance for Tuition
This is a reminder that the deadline to apply for the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington 2024-2025 tuition assistance through FACTS is January 31, 2024. There are no exceptions. FACTS must receive the application and required documentation* no later than January 31. The diocese cannot consider late or incomplete applications. Tuition assistance will only be granted to those families whose children (K-12) are officially registered in a diocesan inter-parochial or parish school. Those not registered will not be awarded tuition assistance.
*WE ARE ACCEPTING 2022 W-2s. YOU DO NOT NEED TO WAIT FOR 2023 W-2s.
Winter Blessings,
Mrs. Judith J. White, Principal
“A good school provides a rounded education for the whole person. And a good Catholic school, over and above this, should help all its students to become saints.”
~ Pope Benedict XVI