Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve

2018 National Blue Ribbon School
The Crusader Times for May 6, 2021
From the Principal's Desk


Dear Saints Peter and Paul Community,

My deepest thanks to the community for the outpouring of support and kindness for all the wonderful teachers here at SSPP! We are blessed for their commitment and dedication! On behalf of the faculty and staff of SSPP, thank you to the fifth-grade parents for a truly outstanding job on the 2021 Spring Fundraiser. The time, treasure, and talent they shared were incredible and went above and beyond. 

Best Wishes,
Mrs. Veronica Chandler, Principal

Celebrations
Teacher Appreciation Week - May 3-7. Thank you to the HSA Committee for organizing all the events. 
Teacher Appreciation Week, a week “for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives.” This year, SSPP will express our T*H*A*N*K*s with a week of recognition and gratitude. Below are the ways the teachers were honored.
 
T - Monday, Thank a Teacher. Using hashtag #ThankaTeacher, share online how your teacher or
SSPP teachers have brightened you and/or your child’s life!  On behalf of all SSPP families, the Home & School Association will provide a flowering plant to all teachers to thank them for helping all of our children grow so beautifully! 
 
H - Tuesday, Hearts to Love and Hands to Serve. Wear your teacher’s favorite color. Ask him or her but don’t let on why you are asking. Donate a school supply to your teacher’s stash - wipes, tissues, dry-erase markers, etc.  
 
A - Wednesday, Appreciate & Applaud. Please join us during dismissal on Wed, May 5th to applaud the teachers. Stand next to your car and clap for the teachers as they exit the school and walk our kids out. Then honk, clap, and express your thanks as you exit the parking lot! Students will tell jokes and thank their teachers on the wake-up call.
 
N - Thursday, Nice & Notable. Write a handmade thank you note for your child’s teacher. In school, students will write what they love most about their teacher on sticky notes to be posted in the shape of a heart on their classroom door today.
 
K - Friday, Keen to be Kind. Student choice - Perform an act of kindness for your teacher today. On behalf of SSPP families, the Home & School Association will provide cupcakes and a small thank you gift for our teachers! If you wish to contribute to the gift, Keurig coffee and tea pods would be a welcome addition and can be dropped off at the front office.   

Our Teachers:
 
Mrs. Trainer is our fabulous Honors math teacher. She shares her love of math with her students. Here is what is happening in her class:
4th graders are making their way into geometry using formulas.
5th grade is focusing on finding the volume and area of 3D figures.
6th grade is working on slope in class.
7th grade finished learning about radicals 
8th grade is working on finishing Algebra 1 and factorials.
 
Mrs. McWilliams teaches the children everything they need to know about physical education. 
In gym class:
Grades Pre K through 3rd are working on their track and field skills.
Grades 4th through 8th are golfing using the 7 iron. This is the first time ever the 4th graders have used the 7 iron and they are doing a fantastic job!
Field Day will be May 28th. The students will show off their skills in six activities moving around the field from one quadrant to the next with their cohort. We are thankful Mrs. McWilliams is making this fun day work for the students!

Mrs. Levitan is teaching the students all there is to know about new tech apps.  
Here is what the students are doing in class:
Kindergarten is using coding apps and robotics.
Grades 1-2 are also working on coding apps and problem-solving sequencing.
Grades 3-5 are learning about various Google apps and Google Slides for Animation
Grade 6 is working with Google Earth to follow a scavenger hunt around the world.
Grades 7-8 are learning about 3D design using Sketch Up for schools.
 
Mrs. Luciano is our talented art teacher. She loves art and it shows when she teaches.
Eighth grade has been introduced to various styles and artists. Some examples are: the style of DADA, FANTASY between the Wars, Pop Art, and Surrealism. Some of the artists are Marc Chagall, Roy Lichtenstein, and Salvador Dali.
Seventh graders were introduced to Impressionism with artist Claude Monet, Post Impressionism with Henri Rousseau, Fauvism with Henri Matisse, and Realism with Janet Fish.
Sixth graders were introduced to 19th Century Romantic painting with Thomas Cole, Realist Genre Painters, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, and Tanner.19th and 20th Century Illustrators, Randolph Caldecott, N.C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle. They are currently working on creating a painting in the style of Western painter, Georgia O'Keeffe.
Fifth graders have done Dutch artist Vermeer, drawing a figure proportionally correct, created a room in the style of Van Gogh, and are currently working on perspective.
Fourth graders have made many creations and crafts. Most recently they have created a Japanese vase with cherry blossoms that are 3D. 
Third Grade was introduced to artist Albrecht Durer, a Renaissance artist, and created prints. They have created Optical art with a ball and most recently painted a Barn scene using watercolors.
Second grade began the year with the Middle Ages then Gothic sculpture, painting, and crafts.
Kindergarten created a painting on brown paper that was crumpled to represent the cave walls. 
 
Mr. Lundy
Music Classes at SSPP are currently exploring the various sections of the symphony orchestra. Introductions to the various sections of the orchestra are presented with a short film produced by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, that allows the students to see and hear the various instruments of each section of the orchestra. Follow-up questions are then presented to the students regarding what they have just seen and heard in the film. An educational packet containing grade-level appropriate assignments is then provided to the students to reinforce what they have just learned in the lesson.

New HSA Committee 
Please come out to join us for the first HSA meeting on June 1st. This will be through a zoom. A warm welcome to Mrs. Kelly Smith, Mrs. Courtney Zentz, Mrs. Erin Oschell, and Mr. Stephen Diorio. They have been working behind the scenes and having meetings to prepare for a great year next year. Please come out to support them on June 1st at 7 PM. Please lookout for an email with the HSA meeting zoom link the week before the meeting. 
SSPP Spring Fundraiser
My sincere gratitude to all the 5th-grade parents for their time and dedication to organizing this year’s Spring Fundraiser. I also want to thank all classroom parent volunteers who were part of making the class baskets. They are truly outstanding! We are so grateful to the parish community for your support in ensuring the success of technology in our classrooms.
Heart to Love, Hands to Share
Community Service
Thank you to the 7th grade for continuing to make lunches for the people at Saint Agnes Day Room in West Chester. Tommy O. headed up this service project during the Lenten Season and it continues.

IMPORTANT DATES
May 7: Spring Fundraiser Raffle Drawings Thanks for your support!
May 9: Happy Mother's Day!
May 13: No School-Ascension Thursday
IMPORTANT DATES
May 28: Field Day-Noon Dismissal
May 31: No School-Memorial Day
June 1: HSA Meeting
May 3-7 Is Teacher Appreciation Week
Saints Peter and Paul School is blessed to have the most dedicated and loving teachers! Throughout the pandemic, they have gone above and beyond in demonstrating "hearts to love and hands to serve". They have had to be flexible with lesson plans and teaching styles due to the ever-changing landscape of in-person and distance learning. They showed determination and perseverance over the summer in being an integral part of the opening plans for the school back in September. Every day, they show up with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts for our students. Thank you, teachers!
This week was an opportunity for our students and parents to show their gratitude for all our teachers have done. The HSA team stepped up to show our parents' appreciation in various ways (see Mrs. Chandler's above letter) including signage in the front of the school and potted plants for the teachers to enjoy all summer! Thank you, parents!
Spring Fundraiser Update
Even though raffle tickets are no longer available, you can still help SSPP get the new chrome books and smartboards that are much needed! You can make a tax-deductible donation for these items here: https://sspeterandpaulhsa.org/product/donate-a-chromebook/
Raffle drawings will be held on May 7. Winners will be contacted. Thank you for your generosity!
Varsity Girls LAX Happy to be Playing for CYO
Varsity Girls Crusaders LAX team celebrated a hard-fought win over Saints Simon and Jude 9-8 the other day. They finish their regular season this week and play-offs begin next week.
The 8th-grade girls took turns in goal this season as the team did not have a dedicated goalie.
Good luck, girls! We are there with you in spirit!
May is the Month of Mary
The teachers and students are honoring Mary in school this month by saying a decade of the rosary each day in religion class. Students were asked to bring in their own rosaries so they learn to pray the rosary correctly as well as understanding why to pray the rosary.

New School Website Launched!
Saints Peter and Paul School is pleased to announce a new and improved website for the school. The new site has been updated for ease of use across all platforms, including phones and tablets. One of the best things about the website is that it will continue to evolve to better serve the needs of our families and those looking to find out more about our wonderful school!
Please check us out and bookmark us at www.school.sspeterandpaulrc.org
We welcome your comments, suggestions, and feedback!
From the Nurse's Office

From the Nurse’s Office:
Happy Spring everyone! We know this year has brought so many challenges for so many and we are thankful for your continued diligence and compliance as we continue to navigate safely through this COVID pandemic. We so appreciate all the generosity of the lunches for the faculty and staff that we have been included in! Just a couple of housekeeping issues as we move into the warmer weather: please make sure your child has a water bottle with them each day & a spare mask to replace those that get wet/sweaty.  For our younger students - please have a full change of season-appropriate clothes in their cubby/classroom for the occasional accident.
Thanks for your cooperation to make sure our students were up to date with their Immunizations, Physicals, and Dental Exam Reports! If you had some doctor’s appointments over the break or coming up soon, please send in those reports. Any examinations dated from August/September 2020 forward will suffice for next year’s requirements. The State of Pennsylvania requires that all required immunizations must be documented within the first 5 days of the start of school. The West Chester Area School District requires that the required Physicals and Dentals from a licensed Health Care Provider are received within the first 60 days of the start of school. If the plan is not followed, the student will be excluded from school. Please note that The Archdiocese of Philadelphia does not permit religious or philosophical exemptions from vaccination. Below are the requirements:
Preschool students must receive all immunizations for which they are eligible (by age)
Kindergarten through 8th-grade students must receive:
4 DTaP (diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis) with the last dose given after the child’s 4th birthday
4 IPV (polio) with the last dose given after the child’s 4th birthday
3 Hepatitis B
2 Varicella (chickenpox)
2 MMR (measles/mumps/rubella)
**Students must be up to date with all immunizations by the 5th day from the start of the school year. AOP and Saints Peter and Paul do not permit students to be on a delayed immunization schedule unless medically necessary. In this case, a note from a licensed doctor must be provided to the school nurse prior to the 1st day of class.

7th-grade students must receive the above plus the following:
Meningitis vaccine
Tdap booster

Physical Exams are required for Kindergarten and 6th graders, as well as any new students, regardless of the grade they are entering.
Dental Exams are required for Kindergarten, 3rd, and 7th graders, as well as any new students, regardless of the grade they are entering.

If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Hopton, Staff Nurse (M, W-F) lhopton@wcasd.net and Megan Foytack (Tues) mfoytack@sspeterandpaulrc.org at 484-473-8308 or Colette Dugan, Certified School Nurse at 484-266-2006 or cdugan@wcasd.net.
Alumni News
In an effort to make it easier for our alumni to give back to SSPP, we have started a Venmo account for the Annual Fund @ssppwcannualfund

Your alumni gift to the Annual Fund demonstrates gratitude

When you make your donation, please include the year you graduated and an email where we can send your receipt. Thank you for your support!


If you have alumni news to share, please reach out to Diana Poole at advancement@sspeterandpaulrc.org

We would love to hear from you!
Don't Forget to Order Math Summer Solutions!
If you have a student registered in grades K-8 for the 2021-22 school year, it is highly recommended that you order the Standards-Based Math Summer Solutions workbook for the grade they have just completed. A grade will be assessed on the completed workbook.
2019-2020 Annual Report
Please click on the 2019-2020 GIF to link to our school's Annual Report
Support the SSPP Community by shopping with Amazon Smile !
Access the website: smile.amazon.com and select "SS. Peter and Paul Church and School" as your charity of choice. Products and prices are the same as regular Amazon, but using Smile.Amazon means a portion of your shopping dollars will be donated to Saints Peter and Paul School.
"Talk to Us"
Visit these social media platforms to stay connected with your school and other SSPP Parents!
Follow your school on Instagram:
@ssppschoolwc and @ssppschoolart
@sspp_crusaders_cyo
#wearesspp
#ssppproud
#proud2bsspp
Our facebook page is:
SaintsPeterandPaulSchoolWC
Our school governing body is called the SSPP Board of Limited Jurisdiction.
Members are Joe Devine (Chair), PJ Charlton (Secretary), Gary Davis (Finance Chair), Rand Ginsburg (Facilities Chair), Frank Hanna (Governance Chair), Mary Cunningham (Development Chair), Michael Parsons (COVID Chair), Allison Hall (Marketing & Enrollment Chair), Andrew Parsons, David Dorsey, Priscilla Burt, Cynthia Wein, Daniel McKinney, Frank Burrell, Joshua Benson, Martin Roddy, Richard Fonash, Brian Meilinger, Mark Drinker, Erin Heinerichs, Veronica Chandler, and Monsignor Angelo Citino.
Read more about the Board on our website.
   Saints Peter & Paul School
        1327 Boot Road
               West Chester, PA 19380
       p. (610)696.1000
f. (484) 631.0181

Mrs. Veronica Chandler, Principal     
Mr. Joe Devine, Board Chairman
Mrs. Diana Poole, Advancement Director