Dear School Families,
During this Advent season, our school family is using the theme “Jesus’s Journey to Us.” Many of our students know this is a time of anticipation as we await the birth of our Savior. You can feel the excitement in the building as students are working on Advent and Christmas projects. Their excitement during this time of year is always a joy to see! We have been starting our Monday mornings with a prayer service in church using the beautiful church Advent Wreath. We have been taking students by level, socially distanced in the pews. Prior to Advent, several of our students had not been in church as a group since the start of the pandemic. I am facilitating these prayer services and then offer church tours for our many new students. The students are amazed by the architecture and artwork in the church and are impressed with the paintings, stained glass windows, and elaborate altar ceiling.
Next week, we will welcome a very special guest. Our diocese’s new bishop, Bishop William Koenig, will be visiting us on Wednesday, December 15th. All students will meet with Bishop Koenig in smaller, socially distanced groups. This will be Bishop Koenig’s first visit to our school and we are all very excited for him to see our magnificent school.
Continuing with news from the Bishop, Bishop Koening has given all schools in the Diocese of Wilmington an extra three days off in the New Year. The first will be Monday, January 3rd. Instead of coming back to school on Monday, we will start on Tuesday, January 4th. The other days are one still to be decided in March and Friday, May 27th, which was already a scheduled day off for us.
Santa’s Secret Shop – A huge thank you to our Home and School Board members who put on an amazing Santa’s Secret Shop! They helped all of our students shop for their loved ones and had an amazing selection for them to choose from. I would like to give a shout out to Roseann Detlefsen for organizing, shopping, decorating, and staffing this fun activity. Thank you for all your hard work! Thanks also to our volunteers, Mrs. Livia Casale, Mrs. Farrell, and Mrs. Erin McGready.
Five Below Spirit Week – We are having Spirit Week at Five Below until Wednesday, December 15th. Please shop at Five Below located at 4615 Kirkwood Highway in the Midway Plaza from 11:00am – 7:00pm on any of the days and our school will receive a portion of the profits. A flyer was sent home in the white envelopes on Wednesday, December 8th. Shop early and often to support our school!
Class Disruptions – We do understand that emergencies happen, however entire classrooms are being interrupted multiple times during the school day due to parents dropping off lunches. Starting today, if parents are dropping off lunches, please be sure to write your child’s name and grade on it. Post-its are available on the table in the lobby. The lunches will stay there until the designated lunchtime. We will no longer be calling students down during class time, so please do not wait in the lobby to see them. If you need to speak to your child during the school day, we can call them down to the office in between classes and have them call you.
Congratulations to our November Students of the Month! The value of the month was conscientiousness. Congratulations to Harvey Botsford (PK3), Mannan Juergens (PK4), Miliany Peralta (K), Jillian Krevchuck (1st), Ivy Price (2nd), Wen Wen Chen (3rd), Dominic De Ieso (4th), Neela Pulliam (5th), Jessica Garcia (6th), Riley Winfield (7th), and Jack Waldorf (8th)! Keep up the great work!
Cold Weather Reminders – Students will go outside for recess every day unless the temperature is too low or there is rain/snow. Many children have come to school under dressed for the weather. All students will go outside with their class, regardless of their outerwear. We do not have the staff to watch children who do not wear appropriate outerwear for recess.
December 23rd for the Christmas Program – With your children and my staffs’ health and safety as a top priority, our Christmas Show will be closed to an audience outside of the school. We will stream the Christmas program as a Facebook Live event from our school Facebook page at 10:30 A.M. PreSchool – 4th Grade will be performing. Please be sure to follow us at “St. Anthony of Padua Grade School Families, Alumni, & Friends” so you will be able to see our show.
Christmas Mass Schedule – This Christmas, St. Anthony’s will offer Mass at 4:00 P.M., 7:00 P.M., and 10:00 P.M. on Christmas Eve. There will be one Mass only on Christmas Day at 10:00 A.M.
Upcoming Important Dates
- Thursday, 12/9 – Wednesday, 12/15 – Five Below Spirit Week – Flyers were sent home Wednesday.
- Thursday, 12/23 – Noon Dismissal; NO AFTERCARE
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- Christmas Program – Facebook Live – 10:30
- Friday – Monday, 12/24-1/3 – SCHOOL CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK
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- Tuesday, 1/4 – School Reopens
Our next Tiger Talk will be in January. I hope you all have a wonderful Advent and Christmas season.
Wishing you a blessed Advent and merry Christmas season,
Mrs. White
Principal
“Advent is the time we are given to welcome the Lord who comes to encounter us, and also to verify our longing for God, to look forward and prepare ourselves for Christ’s return.” ~ Pope Francis