Dear Parents/Guardians,
We began this season of Lent with Mass on Ash Wednesday. Father Wrightson was our presider at this Mass and during his homily, he reminded us of the importance of ashes. He told us the ashes we received were not only a visible reminder of our faith, but a sign that something special would be happening inside us during the Lenten journey. Our journey through Lent will help us grow in knowledge of God and Jesus. Father Wrightson also reminded us that the Eucharist we receive helps to nourish our souls for the journey to come.
This goes perfectly with the school’s Lenten theme “Walk with Jesus.” Our Student Council officers helped pick this theme and it is one that all of our students, from littlest Tiger to 8th Grader can understand. During the season of Lent, we remember what Jesus did for us. This is a time of year when many people “give up” something. We are encouraging students to do something instead of give up something. Doing a kind act every day of Lent is a wonderful way to be like Jesus.
Today began our Lenten tradition of Stations of the Cross on Friday afternoons. Each Friday during Lent, a different grade reads the Stations of the Cross along with our presider. This is a wonderful way to close out the week and remind the students of the importance of Jesus’s journey and sacrifice for us. If you are able, come and join us on Fridays at 2:00 P.M. in the Church. We hope to see some of you there!
Diocesan Principal Retreat – I will be out of town Wednesday, March 4th through Friday, March 6th of next week. I will be on retreat with the Catholic Schools Office and other administrators from our elementary and high schools in the Diocese. I will keep all of your families in my prayers as always! Mr. Shields will be available should you need him. We are blessed to work in a school where the principal can leave the building and all remains calm and peaceful. I was away last week from Tuesday through Friday on a Middle States Team visit and there were no issues. I complimented the children when I returned. I am so proud of them every day. They work hard and they follow the rules to keep everyone safe and happy. Our teachers do an excellent job of managing behavior and having a respectful and cooperative classroom environment. Thank you again for sending your children to St. Anthony’s. I assure you that they are in the best place. I obviously did not tell them I was out of the building, but I am sure they were aware that someone else was doing announcements and they did not see me.
Congratulations to Daniel and Stella Caesar! They have a new baby sister in the family. Welcome to Alexis, our newest baby tiger!
Congratulations to our February Students of the Month! February’s virtue was “facing challenges without fear.” Congratulations to our brave students: Finley Banker (PK3), Jackson Lawrence (PK4), Colton Geiger (K), Ryan Neal (1st), Sylvie Keen (2nd), Delaney Loyola (3rd), Lilliana Stellini(4th), Amara Smith (5th), Braden Carroll (6th), Eliana Godlewski (7th), and Evan Cillo (8th). Keep up the good work!
After Care Changes – For an added level of security, access to multiple computers, and a more flexible play environment, After Care has been moved to the top floor in the Digital Library. Thank you for your flexibility. The children are very excited to be able to use the computers, sing and dance with the SMART Board, draw on the whiteboard walls and glass, and spread out by age level. I like the fact that I have a perfect view of all areas on the Digital Library on camera and that there are no exterior doors to access After Care students directly.
Padua Academy Collaboration Projects – Padua Academy and St. Anthony’s have started collaborating on a number of service-based projects. Here are just a few of the things our students have been doing:
- Student podcast: We have joined forces with Mr. Leizear’s communication group. Our students and his students are working to create our first podcast.
- Community Garden: We are working with St. Francis Hospital to begin a community garden to help feed the community. It is in the beginning stages, having held only one meeting.
- Emmanuel Dining Room: Padua girls came to St. Anthony’s and worked with our girls who will be attending Padua in the fall as well as some girls from 5th and 6th Grade. They made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches together for the EMD. Our girls had a wonderful time participating in this service activity.
School Marketing – Next week I will be doing my second radio interview for Italian Radio. I will be marketing the school and our upcoming Open House. However, you are our best marketers. Please continue to spread the word about our amazing school and all we have to offer. We tend to be humble, and people are often shocked when I tell them about our technology, special education services, certified and licensed teachers, and terrific facility. The response is always, “I had no idea.” That tells me we need to start bragging a little bit about what it is that we do well here. We are fully living our mission, “valuing our past and embracing our future.”
- Open House #2 – We will have our second Open House next month. Stop by on Thursday, March 12th from 6:30 P.M. until 8:30 P.M. We will have a family game night while offering tours and introducing prospective parents to our school. As always, food will be served! We decided to try something new this year and had a nice turnout with the first evening (Family Movie Night). This takes the place of our traditional Sunday afternoon Open House in January. Everyone liked the new informal, family-friendly social format. We have ongoing tours and shadow days. We have had a lot of interest these past couple of months.
Class Notes:
- PreSchool 3 has been experimenting with objects that sink or float. They are also learning the letter “S” and have enjoyed playing with magnetic sand.
- PreSchool 4 has been working on letter sounds and learning new sight words. They are also learning how to be a kind friend to others. They have also done a robot programming experiment and got to watch the robot move on the routine they programmed it with!
- Kindergarten has been learning about Lent and Ash Wednesday. They practiced getting ashes on their hands with “unblessed” ashes. They learned that wearing these very special ashes shows the world that we love Jesus. They compared these very special ashes to a birthday hat because they are always so proud to wear that party hat. Kindergartners are also proud to wear these ashes for Jesus.
- 1st Grade had a wonderful time watching a performance of the musical Frozen at Cab Calloway School of the Arts. They enjoyed a special candy heart math graphing activity for Valentine’s Day. They are making a lot of progress in Reading and learning the different spellings of the long vowel sounds.
- 2nd Grade has been working on writing research reports for Black History Month. They also have been learning about two-digit subtraction, fast and slow earth changes, and goods and services.
- 3rd Graders were given the name of a famous African-American for Black History Month. Each student had to do their own computer research for this activity. Once finished, they will be presenting their reports to the class.
- 4th Grade has been learning about the Southwest region of the United States in Social Studies. During Science class, they’ve been learning about the internal and external structures of both plants and animals. They are also excited because they will be starting fractions in Math class next week!
- 5th Grade is learning about our solar system in Science class. Many of them are able to name all the planets and differentiate between the inner and outer planets. In Reading and Social Studies, the class has been reading Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Students have been learning about World War II and the Holocaust.
- 6th Grade is finishing up Helen Keller: The Story of My Life. They will be jumping into Persuasive Writing using MLA formatting. All three Middle School grades will be working with MLA formatting in the third trimester to help prepare them for high school.
- 7th Grade students have started to work on their Lenten prayer services in religion class. The services consist of a reading, a homily, petitions, examination of conscience questions and a closing song and video. Students are looking forward to presenting their prayer services to younger grades.
- 8th Grade finished up their lesson on the Renaissance this week by participating in a painting activity. The students chose a work by Michelangelo, sketched it out, and then painted it under their desks. The works turned out beautifully and are displayed in the 3rd floor hallway.
- Phys. Ed. Classes are about to begin a 3 week Yoga unit. All classes have been playing Group Games the past few weeks and 4th – 8th Grade also took their first fitness tests.
Yearbooks – Yearbooks are on sale! They are $35. Please use the following link to purchase a yearbook. There will be limited yearbooks available for sale after the online sales. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Seehusen at cseehusen@stanthonynet.org.
http://jostensyearbooks.com/?
From Mrs. Russell, our school nurse:
If your child is sent home from school with a fever/vomiting/diarrhea, they are not to return to school the next day per the 24 hour policy. Your child does not feel well enough to perform school work and they are contagious to their classmates.
WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL:
- Fever – temperature of 100 degrees in the last 24 hours. Please do not medicate your child with Tylenol or Ibuprofen and then send him/her to school. The fever may come down, but your child is still contagious and won’t feel well.
- Vomiting or Diarrhea in the last 24 hours
- Conjunctivitis/Pink Eye – white part of the eye or eyelid is red with thick drainage. Your child must have started treatment before returning to school.
- Headache/Cough/Sore throat/Congestion severe enough to interfere with the ability to perform schoolwork.
How do I tell the difference between a cold and the flu?
| Signs and Symptoms | Influenza | Cold |
| Symptom onset | Abrupt | Gradual |
| Fever | Usual; lasts 3-4 days | Rare |
| Aches | Usual; often severe | Slight |
| Chills | Fairly common | Uncommon |
| Fatigue, weakness | Usual | Sometimes |
| Sneezing | Sometimes | Common |
| Stuffy nose | Sometimes | Common |
| Sore throat | Sometimes | Common |
| Chest discomfort, cough | Common; can be severe | Mild to moderate; hacking cough |
| Headache | Common | Rare |
- How is influenza spread?
- The influenza virus is believed to be mainly spread by droplets that are released when someone coughs, sneezes, or talks. A person could also become infected by touching a contaminated surface or object, then touching their own nose or mouth (the flu virus can remain infectious for up to 24 hours on a surface). Young children, the elderly, and individuals with chronic health conditions are more likely to have complications if infected with the flu.
- How long should they stay out of school and other activities?
- Children need to stay out of school until their fever is gone for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication and he/she is feeling well enough to participate in routine activities.
Also, if you are keeping your child home from school because of illness, please let the school know the reason why your child is ill. This will help in monitoring the illnesses at school.
- What is the treatment for influenza?
- The treatment for influenza (a viral illness) is usually rest, fluids, ibuprofen and/or Tylenol for pain/fever. Antibiotics are not effective. Antiviral medications can shorten the course of the flu and prevent complications if given within 36 to 48 hours after the symptoms begin. These are usually prescribed for those who are high risk (immunocompromised or have a chronic medical condition such as asthma). Contact your physician for the following complications: the fever gets better, then suddenly worsens; symptoms don’t improve within 2 weeks; can’t get rid of the cough or it begins producing thick mucus; or pain concentrated in a single area like ear (ear infection), chest (pneumonia) or sinuses (sinus infection).
- How can influenza be prevented?
- It is not too late to get a flu shot. According to the CDC, the best way to avoid or lessening the severity of the flu is to get an annual flu vaccine, and it is recommended that everyone 6 months old and up receive one. Even if the flu vaccine is not 100% effective, it may help lessen the severity of the flu.
**Some routine practices that can prevent the spread of germs for any virus include: frequent, proper hand hygiene (scrub with soap for at least 20 seconds); cough/sneeze into your elbow/sleeve; keep hands away from your face; disinfect frequently used objects/surfaces; avoid contact with sick people, and, conversely, if you are sick, avoid contact with others.*
We will do our best here at school to keep the surfaces clean. I need your help in keeping your child home if they are not feeling well and show signs of the flu.
If you have any questions or concerns about these or any other health issues, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school. Thank you and stay healthy!
Sincerely,
Annemarie Russell BSN, RN, CPN,
St. Anthony of Padua School Nurse
From Home and School:
- Save the Date for Casino Night on Saturday, March 28th from 6:30-10:30pm. Home and School is sponsoring this fun evening out for adults only! Bring your friends and your lucky charms to St. Anthony’s 4th Annual Casino Night Fundraiser! Try your luck at Black Jack, Roulette, and Craps to win raffle tickets for a chance to win some fantastic prizes. There will be a Silent Auction too! Tickets are $40 per person and include: $50 in gaming chips, heavy hors d’oeuvres, desserts, beer & wine. You must be 21 to attend. Ticket sales are final. No refunds.
- To purchase tickets, please contact Elizabeth Alfieri at Escorsone@hotmail.com.
From the Parish:
- March Parish Monthly Socials – The March parish socials will be held on Sunday, March 1st in the Ballad Room of the Grade School, following the 9:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. Masses. Stop by for food, fun, and socializing with fellow parishioners and friends. The social, as always, will feature a variety of great donuts and tomato pie from Serpe’s Bakery, delicious breakfast pizzas from Degnars Greenhill Deli, and more! We hope you can join us!
From the Business Office:
- Financial Aid for the 2020-2021 School Year – Financial aid packets are now available in the main office. All parents applying for financial aid to our school MUST apply to the Diocese first. Please be aware that without a completed application to the Diocese, a family will not be considered for financial aid through our parish education fund. Please contact Mr. Shields or Mrs. Serio with any questions.
*Reminder – Financial aid packets have to be completed and submitted by March 4th.
Please be sure to follow us on Facebook! If you haven’t followed us yet, look for St. Anthony of Padua Grade School Families, Alumni & Friends.
Lenten Blessings,
Mrs. White
“During Lent, let us find concrete ways to overcome our indifference.”~ Pope Francis