October seems to have flown by! What an exciting month we had. We had our first school Mass, Grandparents Day, the book fair, the Volleyball team won their tournament, and we had a lot of Halloween fun yesterday afternoon! We have had school visits from both our Superintendent, Dr. Louis DeAngelo, and our Associate Superintendent, Carol Ripken. We celebrated Mass with Bishop Koening on Wednesday and he reminded the students to “Walk by Faith” and remember that God loves them and Jesus is always with them (even when we can’t see Him). He showed an optical illusion and reminded us to have faith and that everything is not as we see it. Bishop Koenig talked about the great faith Peter had to step out of the boat and walk on stormy water to Jesus and how it was only when he doubted and took his eyes off of Jesus that he sank. Jesus quickly saved him. Today we celebrated All Saints Day Mass with our Padua sisters. What an absolute joy to see our beautiful church filled to capacity! These next few weeks will fly by with Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas coming up. Please join us at any of our school Masses and listen to our amazing Antonians children‘s choir.
As previously mentioned, our Diocesan theme for the year is “We Walk by Faith…” Let us all continue to walk by faith as a school family and in our communities, opening our hearts to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom calls us to look beyond the surface and understand the deeper truths that guide our choices. Understanding helps us to see the complexities of our society and the needs of our neighbors. Today, Father Vincent encouraged us to be living saints. He reminded us that each one of us is perfect in God’s eyes and is called to be the best version of ourselves. He quoted St. Francis de Sales, as we often do, “Be who you are and be that well.” We can become saints by “doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” Father turned off the church lights so the students could see and appreciate the beauty of the stained glass windows highlighting the saints. He told us that God shines His light on those windows as He does on us, helping us to be the light in our families and our communities.
Upcoming Dates
Sunday, November 10
10:30 am Mass – All are welcome!
All School Reunion – 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM – School
Saturday, November 16 – Sunday, November 17
Diocesan High School Placement Test
Tuesday, November 19
First Reconciliation for Second Grade Students – 6:15 PM – Church A little snack will be provided in the church vestibule after the ceremony.
Wednesday, November 20
Home and School General Meeting – 6:00 PM – Cafeteria
Tuesday, November 26 – NO AFTERCARE
Home and School – Thanksgiving Sundae Bar for students
Wednesday, November 27 – Friday, November 29
School Closed for Thanksgiving break
Monday, December 2
School Reopens
Monday, December 2 – Wednesday, December 4
Santa’s Secret Shop – More information to come
Saturday, December 7
Confirmation – Church – 10:00 AM Students report at 9:30 AM to school.
Friday, December 20 – Noon Dismissal – NO AFTERCARE
Christmas Show – More information to come
Monday, January 6, 2025
School Reopens
St. Anthony’s Catholic School serves diverse learners while supporting academic, spiritual, and social-emotional growth.
We value responsibility and compassion as the foundation of students‘ lifelong faith formation and service to society.
Thank You to Our Home and School Association and Parent Volunteers! The students had a fantastic time on Thursday, October 31st. In addition to many students (and teachers) being in their dress down clothes, they had a great time Trick-or-Treating and playing games in the Gym. Thank you to all the parents who created amazing displays, donated candy, and donated your time for the afternoon. The creativity that was used was amazing. All students from our smallest 3-year olds to our oldest teenagers had a great time playing games and getting candy and Halloween treats. Thank you for making this such a fun and successful event! This dress down day raised over $450 for St. Francis of Assisi School which is recovering from a major fire.
Thank You to our 8th Grade class!
During our Halloween celebrations, the 8th Grade class created a Haunted Stage that students were given a chance to go through. Going through the haunted stage was completely optional. Those who went through it had a good scare and a laugh afterward. Way to go, 8th Grade! You did an amazing job! I would like to thank the parents who volunteered their time with the setup and Mrs. Achenbach for her supervision.
Congratulations to our October Students of the Month! These students were recognized by their teachers for being understanding in and outside the classroom. Congratulations to Luke Spencer (PK3), Alexis Caesar (PK4), Tegan Smith (K), Violet Rogers (1st), Tobias Williams (2nd), Salvatore “Bear” Latina (3rd), Chamiah Collins (4th), Kyleigh Beard (5th), Bryce McDermott (6th), Gabrielle Krevchuck (7th), and Pierce Robinson (8th). Way to go!
Trimester 1 Report Cards
Trimester 1 ends at the Thanksgiving Break. Trimester 2 begins when we return from Thanksgiving Break on Monday, December 2nd. Teachers will have an additional week to enter grades into PowerSchool. Report cards will go home the week of December 9th.
All School Reunion!
If you are a grade school alum, join us on Sunday, November 10, for an All School Reunion! Reunite with former classmates and share stories of your time here as a student. Attend 10:30 AM Mass with some of your old friends and teachers. The reunion will start at 11:30 AM in the grade school right after Mass. Visitors will be able to walk around the school, see changes made, and explore different classrooms. Light refreshments will be served in the cafeteria. There will be a bar in the digital library and music in the gymnasium. This is an adult/young adult event. If you are able to join us, please RSVP to office@sapgs.org. We hope to see some former students here!
Attention 2nd Grade Parents
First Reconciliation will take place on November 19th at 6:15 PM in our church. Please arrive promptly! We will have a light refreshment/treat for the students afterward in the church vestibule. All Second Grade students are invited to attend, even if you are not receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Attention 8th Grade Parents
The Diocesan High School Placement Test (HSPT) is scheduled for Saturday, November 16th and Sunday, November 17th. Families are required to register their students to take this test. Father Vincent, our Pastor, blessed pencils for them to use for this test.
Renaissance Testing will take place from November 4 – November 22 Please be sure to arrive at school by 7:50 AM each day. Once testing begins, we will not interrupt classrooms for late student arrivals. They will wait until testing is complete – 30 to 45 minutes. More than 20 students were late for school today. Please try to arrive promptly, as every late student disrupts an entire class that has already begun. The school day starts at 7:50 AM.
Outerwear for Students
Please be sure your child is bringing some type of outerwear as the days get colder and windier. Classes go outside every day for recess unless it is raining/wet outside or the temperature is below freezing. Your child will go outside with their class in whatever outerwear they have. We do not have additional supervision for students without outerwear to stay inside during recess.
Thanksgiving Food Drive
Next week, we begin our annual food drive for the St. Patrick’s Center in Wilmington that will run until November 22nd. Please help us to help our neighbors in the community. We are asking for specific non-perishable food donations from each grade.
PreK – 1st – Stuffing/Gravy (jarred/canned/packets)
2nd – 5th -Instant mashed potatoes/Dessert (cake or pie mix, pudding) 6th – 8th – Canned vegetables
A flyer was emailed today with more information.
Home and School General Meeting
We will be holding a Home and School General Meeting for all families to attend on Wednesday, November 20th at 6:00 PM in the Cafeteria. Come meet our Home and School Board and our faculty, and learn about upcoming fun events planned for this year. Families are welcome to attend, however children must stay with their parents in the cafeteria as there will be no adult supervision in the rest of the building.
Stay Connected
Please be sure to read all emails/texts sent through Bright Arrow. That is our primary means of communication. Tiger Talks are monthly and Paw Prints are more frequent shorter versions of reminders about upcoming events. Follow us on Facebook for daily updates and check our school calendar regularly online at www.sapgs.org
Follow us on Instagram! User name is sapgs.de
Love and Autumn Blessings,
Mrs. Judith J. White, Principal
“The Saints are not supermen, nor were they born perfect. They are like us, like each one of us. They are people who, before reaching the glory of Heaven, lived normal lives with joys and sorrows, struggles and hopes.”
~ Pope Francis