October 16, 2020
Dear Families of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School,

Today is first quarter report card day! Later this afternoon, you will receive an e-mail with a link to your student’s first quarter report card. When this day arrives each year, I am reminded of a story that my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Baker, used to share each year called “The Butterfly Struggle”. I think the story is worth re-sharing because the message is so important. Please read this story below: 

The Butterfly Struggle
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand: The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly. (https://www.butterflyinsight.com/butterfly-stories-the-man-and-the-butterfly-struggle.html)

This story reminds us of the importance of allowing our children to work hard, even if this means struggling, as it is only through the work and the struggle that our children can grow. When our children face difficulties, it can be so hard to have the strength to not remove the challenge. Please give your children the support they need as they learn to triumph over their struggles so that they can grow into the beautiful young people God created them to be. 

Only by His Grace,

Veronica Tucker
Principal 
SCHOOL NEWS
PARENTSWEB PARENT TIPS:
  • Looking for other parent emails or contact information? Check out the Directory in ParentsWeb. Filters allow you to filter by your child's homeroom.
  • Address, email or phone changes can be updated in your contact information in WebForms > Back to School Forms > Parent Information
  • If you would like you can change your password under Family Information > Username/Password. 
  • Parents can currently enter Paduan Points under the Family Information > Select Parent > Service Hours Tab and Add Service Hours. 
PARENT - TEACHER CONFERENCES - OCT. 26
How do I schedule a conference?
  • Sign-ups will take place until Monday, Oct. 19th at 12:00 noon.
  • Registration for conferences will be done through Sign-Up Genius. If you already use Sign-up Genius and have an existing account, you do not need to register again - use your existing username and password.
  • New families will register with their own email address.
  • USE THIS LINK TO SIGN-UP: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0F45A8AF29A6FC1-conferences15
  • Click on your grade level tab(s) - find the teacher(s) you want to conference with and choose from the available time slots.

When are parent-teacher conferences?
  • Conferences will take place on Monday, 10/26 from 9AM-5PM. THIS IS A STUDENT HOLIDAY.
  • Due to COVID, conferences will take place via telephone this year.
  • Your student's teacher will call you.
  • Please be sure you list the correct telephone number and that you are available at your schedule time.

Is a parent-teacher conferences mandatory for everyone?
  • Conferences are optional. Parents may schedule a conference if they would like to discuss their student's progress at this time.
  • Teachers may reach out to parents if they feel a meeting would be helpful.

Which teacher do I conference with?
  • Pre-K3 - 5th Grade: Parents must conference with their student's homeroom teacher.
  • 6th- 8th Grade: Please choose only ONE (1) of your child's core subject teachers to conference with.
  • All Grades: Auxiliary teachers are also available for conferences if desired. If you wish to meet with additional cores subject teachers, please contact those teachers directly to schedule a conference with them on a different day.

If you need additional assistance you may contact Emily Domingo at edomingo@staopcs.org or 281-296-0300.
RED RIBBON WEEK
Monday, Oct. 19 | Students encouraged to wear a “pop” of red with uniforms. Examples: Bows, Headbands, Socks, Shoes, Belts, Bracelets

Tuesday, Oct. 20 | Students encouraged to wear a “pop” of red with uniforms. Examples: Bows, Headbands, Socks, Shoes, Belts, Bracelets
Wednesday, Oct. 21 | Students encouraged to wear a “pop” of red with uniforms. Examples: Bows, Headbands, Socks, Shoes, Belts, Bracelets
  • NOTE: Middle School will attend Mass. Please make sure middle school students’ “pop of red” is removable to attend Mass.
  • All posters should be turned in on Wednesday, Oct. 21st for the Poster Contest! If you have any questions, please contact Kaitlyn Schmidt at kschmidt@staopcs.org.

Thursday, Oct. 22 | Students wear their favorite sports team jersey or shirt with uniform bottoms.

Friday, Oct. 23 | Students encouraged to wear a “pop” of red with uniforms. Examples: Bows, Headbands, Socks, Shoes, Belts, Bracelets
ROSARY MONTH - OCTOBER
The month of October is dedicated to the Rosary, and after the Mass, the Rosary is the most powerful prayer at our disposal. St. John Paul II often said that the Rosary is a prayer of peace, and he encouraged families to pray the Rosary together. Sign-up to pray the rosary together this month! **Please add the Besosa-Avena and Ibrahim families to your intentions.
DOLPHIN NETWORK NEWS (DNN) - October 16, 2020
NEW - WALDO PHOTOS
This school year, we’re excited to partner with Waldo Photos, a photo delivery service where you can get all the photos of your student delivered straight to your phone! The moments you care about the most, captured by others, delivered to you. Waldo will bring another level of innovation to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School.

This optional service uses facial recognition and jersey recognition to find photos of your student, and then sends them to your phone via the Waldo app with notifications when new photos are found. Only one parent enrolls per student. You can then invite 6 other family members to also receive your student’s photos on their phone! *We know that masks may make the facial recognition difficult for us this school year but are excited to be able to have a web gallery to feature our school photos.

How to enroll: Text STAOPCS21 to 735-343 and follow the prompts.

Cost per student: $19.99 for 2020-2021 school year

You can also scroll through and view all the photos on the free web gallery here: https://waldo.photos/galleries. Enter the join code: STAOPCS21

Need help? Email: support@waldophotos.com
WHAT'S BREWIN' WITH MRS. TUCKER
This year our informal conversations with administration will be held virtually via GoogleMeet. Please mark your calendar for the What's Brewin' that corresponds to the current grade levels of your student(s).
  • Tuesday, October 20th, 8:15 a.m. - 5th Grade (DATE CHANGE!)
  • Wednesday, October 28th, 8:15 a.m. – 1st Grade
  • Wednesday, November 4th, 8:15 a.m. – 4th Grade
  • Wednesday, November 11th, 8:15 a.m. – 2nd Grade
  • Wednesday, November 18th, 8:15 a.m. – 3rd Grade
NURSE'S NOTES & COVID-19 REMINDERS
NURSE NOTES
Nothing to report. 
COVID VACCINE
We've had some questions from parents that we want to address regarding a future COVID-19 vaccine. If and when a vaccine becomes available, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School would not require the vaccine unless it is mandated by state health officials. If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Pavlock.
SCREENING AND ON-CAMPUS REQUIREMENTS
We will continue to work closely with our local health department officials and the Catholic Schools Office to ensure the safety of our students and staff should the school experience a positive case of COVID-19. Please see the attached documents regarding screening of your students and on-campus requirements should someone test positive for COVID-19.
PADUAN PARENTS & VOLUNTEERING
CONFERENCES DAY - STOCK THE SNACK BAR!
  • Donate snacks or beverages for our faculty and staff on conferences day.
  • All items should be dropped off on Friday, Oct. 23rd. Carts will be available for drop-off in morning arrivals.
  • Individually wrapped items please. Click the button to sign-up.
SHOUT-OUTS!
  • Thank you again to all of our parents who volunteered for the at-home volunteering to prepare for International Day and Early Childhood Pumpkin Day. We are excited for these fun activities for our students.
  • Thank you to the Zelinka family for purchasing an Osmo Gaming system from our wish list!
FUND FOR ST. ANTHONY
FUND FOR ST. ANTHONY - Every One. Every Year.
The Fund for St. Anthony is the best way possible for parents, grandparents, parishioners, community members, alumni, staff and friends to help make a financial difference in the future of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School and its students. Your investment on an annual basis, at a level that you are comfortable with, helps raise necessary funds for important school initiatives. REMINDER: A contribution to the Fund for St. Anthony earns 10 Paduan Points and one donation counts for the whole family.
Fund for St. Anthony Participation
When you give to the Fund for St. Anthony your students benefit too!
  • 1st Classroom/Homeroom to reach 100% Family Participation in the Fund for St. Anthony will receive a Chick-fil-A Lunch, Free Dress and an in-class Karaoke Party
  • All additional classes that reach 100% Family Participation will receive a Chick-fil-A Lunch and Free Dress
Classroom/Homeroom Participation - updated Oct. 14th
GIVING BY LIVING
GIVING BY LIVING
Through just living your life and making purchases, you will be supporting our students. These are some of the simplest ways to support our school!

  • AmazonSmile customers can now support St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations.
  1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
  2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into 'Settings'
  3. Tap 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
  4. If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app, update your app. Click here for instructions.

  • Box Tops for Education - The next generation of Box Tops is here. No more clipping – just scan your receipt using the new and improved Box Top mobile app. Find participating products and instantly add Box Tops to your school’s earnings online. Giving has never been so easy! You can still send in clipped Box Tops for double the earnings! If you have BoxTops at home please submit by Oct. 23rd for the next submission deadline!

  • Mabel's Labels - Mabel’s labels are dishwasher, microwave, and laundry safe personalized labels. Please visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search for St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School to place your order and support our school! Great for uniforms, water bottles & lunchboxes!

  • Shutterfly or Tiny Prints - Shop at Shutterfly or Tiny Prints and 13% of your purchase will be donated to St. Anthony! Shop here: staopcs.shutterflystorefront.com
AROUND OUR PARISH
Recently after much anticipation, Michael Gormley finally revealed one of the biggest announcements regarding the Horizon Capital Campaign and the St. Anthony of Padua campus EVER! Tune in to hear about an upcoming project that we are excited to have the entire parish be a part of!
Learn more about the saints revealed each week at: https://www.aphorizoncampaign.com/saints
UPCOMING DATES
10/19-10/23/2020 – Red Ribbon Week
10/19/2020 – Red Ribbon Week: Students encouraged to wear a “pop of red” with uniforms. Examples: Bows, Headbands, Socks, Shoes, Belts, Bracelets
10/20/2020 – Red Ribbon Week: Students encouraged to wear a “pop of red” with uniforms. Examples: Bows, Headbands, Socks, Shoes, Belts, Bracelets
10/20/2020 – Virtual What’s Brewing with Mrs. Tucker (5th Grade), 8:15 a.m.
10/20/2020 – SPIRIT DAY – Sakekawa, Both Locations: 4221 Research Forest or 6777 Woodlands Pkwy – All Day! Be sure to mention you are supporting STAOPCS.
10/21/2020 – Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest Entries Due (more details in upcoming issue of The Messenger)
10/21/2020 – Red Ribbon Week: Students encouraged to wear a “pop of red” with uniforms. Examples: Bows, Headbands, Socks, Shoes, Belts, Bracelets. NOTE: Middle School will attend Mass. Please make sure your “pop of red” is removable to attend Mass.
10/21/2020 – Mass (Middle School attending), 9 a.m.
10/22/2020 – Red Ribbon Week: Students wear their favorite sports team jersey or shirt with uniform bottoms.
10/22/2020 – Spanish Rosary Group, 2:30 p.m., in the church
10/23/2020 – Free Dress for 8th Graders Only
10/23/2020 – Red Ribbon Week: Students encouraged to wear a “pop of red” with uniforms. Examples: Bows, Headbands, Socks, Shoes, Belts, Bracelets. 
10/23/2020 – Early Childhood Pumpkin Day
10/26/2020 – Parent-Teacher Conferences – NO SCHOOL
10/28/2020 – Virtual What’s Brewing with Mrs. Tucker (1st Grade)
10/28/2020 – Mass (Middle School attending), 9 a.m.
10/28/2020 – Spanish Rosary Group, 2:30 p.m., in the church
10/30/2020 – Halloween Science Day (in classrooms)
10/30/2020 – Halloween Shirt & Jeans Day
10/30/2020 – Middle School Social, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Gym
(281) 296-0300
7901 Bay Branch Dr.
The Woodlands, TX 77382