Dear Families,
I am sending Tiger Talk! early this week for planning purposes. We are entering a hectic pandemic holiday season. I want to be sure that everyone is informed of all important information for the upcoming weeks so we can peacefully enter the season of Advent when we return on November 30th.
Spirit Wear sales are open! If you need a gift for the holidays, school spirit wear is always a great idea. Online orders are now open for a brief window. Orders must be placed at http://www.customstitch.com/ by December 1st in order to have items delivered by Christmas.
Thanksgiving Planning: We will be sending home books and other items with students this Friday, Nov. 20th and Monday, Nov. 23rd (just to be prepared) in case we end up having to go fully remote. There is no plan for this at this time from the Diocese, and there is no plan for this on our part. However, due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in Delaware, I want to be prepared. Please expect that your child will need some assistance with his/her belongings this Friday and next Monday. If, for some reason, your child will not be in school next Monday, please notify his/her teacher directly to be sure all supplies are sent home on Friday.
Message from our Parish Trustee, Anthony Albence:
2020 Giving Tree and Christmas Food Baskets Programs
St. Anthony’s is offering two opportunities to make a difference in the lives of those in need this Christmas season. The Christmas Basket program is being coordinated in partnership with St. Pius X Council 4425 Knights of Columbus. In light of safety precautions in place due to COVID-19 pandemic, for 2020 the parish will offer these programs by furnishing gift cards to program participants. Donations to support the programs may be made in a variety of ways:
- purchase a gift card on your own to donate
- make a contribution to be applied to purchase a gift card via the Grade School’s Home & School Board gift card fundraising program
- placing a contribution in the weekly offertory collection or dropping off a contribution at the rectory to support the program between now and the end of November
- Checks can be made payable to “St. Anthony of Padua Church” and mark your donation for the Giving Tree or Christmas Food Basket.
- make a contribution via the parish online giving program to either of these programs (access online giving via the parish website: sapde.org)
*We are also in need of volunteers to deliver and make phone calls the week of December 13th. In this season of giving, we hope that you can be generous to those in need.
Programs Contact Info:
Christmas Baskets Program
To add someone to the list of recipients, to volunteer to assist with the program, or for any additional information, please contact Chris Hostler at (302) 421-3700 or via email: chostler@sapde.org.
Giving Tree Program
Please contact Patty Roach at (302) 421-3700 or via email at: proach@stanthonynet.org
Thanksgiving Food Drive Reminder: We are still accepting donations for our Thanksgiving Food Drive. Thank you so much for helping us “feed the hungry.” Our school families have been very generous so far. Your generosity is making a direct impact on so many who have so little. Thank you! St. Anthony’s school families are always so giving. We are truly blessed!
Spelling BEE: Thank you to Mr. Tucker for organizing the schoolwide Spelling Bee! We will let you know the results once they are in!
Thanksgiving travel/gatherings: Please remember to keep everyone’s safety in mind if you chose to host a party, go to a party, or travel for Thanksgiving. I strongly discourage all three. The coronavirus spread in Delaware has been traced to adults; social gatherings, weddings, religious services, house parties, and eating indoors. According to the governor’s report last Tuesday, the only student-to-student exposures were due to carpooling without masks, slumber parties and socializing, a travel baseball team that went out of state, eating together (not socially distant) and tackle football at recess (no masks). We are taking precautions to avoid any of those situations.
Cross Walk: Thank you to Mike Kelleher for reaching out to the city to add a crosswalk at the corner of 10th and Scott Streets. Please pull your car down to the end of the street and proceed to the corner of 10th and Scott when dropping off students in middle school and 2nd through 4th grades. There is plenty of parking on both sides of the street at the corner. Many families are parking in the middle of the block and allowing their children to cross in the middle of the street. This is very dangerous as people come down that street quickly. There is no flashing light to even indicate to others that this may be the case. If you choose to drop your child off mid-block (not at the corner with Mr. Kelleher or myself), you MUST exit the car and cross them yourself. Please do not drop students off and leave. There are too many students jaywalking and crossing in between cars, and it is dangerous. Mr. Kelleher and I try to walk out in the middle of the street, but we do not always catch them.
Winter Coats: Our Knights of Columbus (through Bill Giles) have donated 24 brand new winter coats for students of various sizes. Please email Lynn Kee at lkee@stanthonynet.org with your child’s size. She can send a coat home with your child or arrange for you to pick it up in the main lobby.
Report Cards: Report cards will be distributed the week of December 7th. I will give you notice when they are sent home. We will mail the report cards home to remote learners, or you can email the teacher and have them scan and email it to you.
December Planning: For purposes of planning, there will be no after care on Wednesday, December 9th (staff Christmas gathering) and on the last day of school before Christmas Break, Friday, December 18th. Thank you for understanding.
School Re-opening Plan Cycle Three begins on November 30th – If you wish for your remote learner to return to school for face-to-face instruction after Thanksgiving, please email Mr. Shields at bshields@stanthonynet.org. Please give him a few days’ notice, so he can arrange for desks, books, and supplies to be arranged over the Thanksgiving break. This third cycle will run through January 18th. Cycle four will begin on January 19th.
I hope everyone has a peaceful, blessed, and happy Thanksgiving. I know it will be an unusually quiet one for most of us. We will certainly miss our family and friends. I know that I will miss the noise and joyful chaos that comes from my side of the family and my husband’s side as well. I will miss the weekend-long celebration with our crazy extended families and all of the children. We had two babies born during this pandemic, and I can’t wait to hold them and hug them. It is torture not to kiss their cheeks whenever I see them outdoors (masked and several feet apart). However, next year, I want to have every single one of us sitting around the table again, with no empty seats at that table. That is my wish and prayer. It will be so worth the wait! I have faith that next year we will be able to celebrate our school turkey luncheon, have an all-school Thanksgiving Prayer Service, and celebrate all of our traditions again. I am praying daily for all of you and for your extended families. Be well and stay safe! You are all very loved and appreciated! Virtual parents, hug your children for me. I miss them and look forward in hope and faith to better things in our future as a school family.
The next Tiger Talk! will be sent on December 11th. I will email shorter updates via School Messenger.
Thanksgiving Blessings,
Mrs. White
“You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. This is how prayer works.” ~ Pope Francis