Tiger Talk!
May 11, 2020
Dear Friends,
I hope everyone had a beautiful Mother’s Day weekend. I am still trying to get to our very own Father Brian Zumbrum’s Mass, but our family always has social-distancing Sunday dinner with my mom around that time. I attended Salesianum’s virtual Mass once again this week. Father Berretta’s homily was perfect and meaningful for all mothers in all situations; both living and deceased, mothers without their children, and children without their mothers. He spoke beautifully of our deceased mothers celebrating in communion with the saints. He said a few things that I think are worth repeating. Mothers are the first teachers. We have all heard that before, but our mothers really are the first people who teach us about life, unconditional love, and our faith. Now more than ever, our school moms have been called to an even bigger challenge. They are working, running their homes, trying to keep everyone safe and healthy, caring for other family members, and doing the actual teaching. I want to commend all of our school moms, grandmoms, and special people who have taken on this teaching role with no warning and no experience. You have done a fantastic job. I can see it in the faces of your children when I attend their virtual classes, and I am so grateful for all of the moments you capture on camera and send to me directly by email. They make my day! I was blessed to work as our school counselor when my children attended St. Anthony’s. I was able to have the same schedule they had and be with them as soon as school ended. This time will fly by. Trust me! Enjoy every second of your time at home with them. I know it is a crazy expectation placed on you, but they will only remember it with gratitude. They will be thankful for everything you did for them and others during these uncharted times. Keep up the great work! We only have a few more weeks of school.
The second thing Father said was that the church is not the building we gather in but the people who make up that church community. It does not matter that we are not in our gorgeous church right now. We are gathering virtually. We are connecting with other people remotely. We are the “living stones” from which our school is made. The people (not the actual stones) make our school the great place that it is.
Lastly, Father said that a mother’s love is the glue that holds the family together. I could not agree more. Whether your mother is with you, far from you, or living eternally in Heaven, she formed you. You are made in her image. Father Beretta talked about St. Francis de Sales and how he sought out the image of our Blessed Mother and referred to God in terms commonly associated with Mary, our Mother. Unconditional and gentle love is what we all need most right now.
I hope everyone is staying safe. Please pray for our entire parish school community. In this time of isolation and loneliness for so many people, let’s pray that everyone feels their mother’s unconditional love. Imagine how great it would be and how worthwhile everyone would feel if we could only see ourselves as our Savior and our mothers do. That is my wish for all of you.
As we enter this crazy time of year, keep our Second Graders in your prayers. Although we did not have the Sacrament of First Eucharist in person as we had hoped, we made the best of our circumstances. Thank you to Ms. Lofink and Mrs. Spitelle for the online celebration and certificates. Thank you to Mr. Colligan for showing up with his guitar and singing for us. Thank you to Mrs. Annemarie Russell, our school nurse, for attending and sharing your love. Thank you to my daughter, Abby, our tiger mascot, who came and surprised the children. It was a fun time! I look forward to when we can actually celebrate in church. Also, please pray for our Eighth Graders. Some of these children have been together since Preschool. They had Mrs. Achenbach as a 3-year-old and now again as a middle school teacher. They formed friendships over 11 years; the longest formal education in one building. This is a huge step. The Class of 2020 is such a fun-loving class. They have made the year so easy for me as an administrator and continue to make me proud every day. They are a wonderful class of friends with a wide range of talents and gifts. They serve their parish and the community. I am confident that they are ready for the next part of their journey in high school. They are ending their year in a most unusual and disconnected way. We can’t line our hallways and clap as they exit on the last day. We are not having a Communion breakfast, an Awards Banquet, a special Baccalaureate Mass, or our traditional graduation. We will not gather on school property or in our church. Mrs. Achenbach has a couple of surprises, but I can’t share them now. We do hope to do something special for them after school ends and when they come to claim their belongings and return their graduation gowns. In the meantime, help me wish them well! Check out our Facebook page to see their student spotlights!
New Teachers:
I also plan to highlight our three new teachers for the 2020-2021 school year. I met with all three of them on Friday and we took a tour of the building. They were impressed with the classroom size, how well the building was maintained, and the brightness of the classrooms. They are so excited to join our school family in September. Alexis Cazier will be our Preschool 4-year-old teacher. Our Kindergarten teacher is Bridget Szymanski. Brandy Luce will be our 5th through 8th Grade Math Specialist. Look for their information in a separate email or on our Facebook page. All three talented ladies come to us from All Saints Catholic School. I was blessed to be able to hire them, as they came highly recommended by their principal and current parents of their students.
Casino Night Saturday, November 21, 2020. Thank you to Jenn Quinlan for securing a date and rescheduling Casino Night. More details will follow. Please mark your calendars now and save the date!
Yearbooks are in! The yearbooks turned out very well. I was impressed with the quality and layout. Yearbooks are available for purchase. Please contact Courtney Seehusen at cseehusen@stanthonynet.org if you still wish to purchase one. Supplies are limited.
Final Grading and Report Cards: Please help your child and make sure all assignments are being submitted to his/her teacher. Grades will close at the end of this month. Report cards will be distributed in June, as always.
End-of-year Drop off/pick-up: The second week of June (typically festival week), we will have a set time for parents to drop off school-owned iPads, chargers, and textbooks. When those items are returned, report cards will be distributed. All belongings will be gathered and bagged for you by your child’s teacher, so you will not have to go to your child’s classroom. We will have a separate entrance for each grade level and will arrange for the safe distribution of materials. More information will follow.
This is certainly not the way we wish to wind down our school year. However, we are making the best of it. I know that we are doing our very best to ensure everyone’s safety so that we can celebrate all that we have missed at a much safer time. Good times await us! We are blessed! Make the most of the beautiful weather we will have this week.
Thank you to all of our parent nurses, doctors, CNAs, and first responders on the front lines. We are so grateful for your sacrifices. Thank you for always putting the needs of others above your own! YOU ARE OUR HEROES! We love you and are praying for you constantly.
Stay safe, and be well!
Love,
Mrs. White 🙂
“In today’s fragmented world, where we risk losing our bearings, a Mother’s embrace is essential.” ~ Pope Francis