School Newsletter
01.13.22
Mission:
St. Anthony of Padua School Community
engages students in academic excellence
while guiding them to live as a reflection of Jesus.
School Calendar:

All upcoming dates can be found on the school website or app.  


Google Calendar Subscription (click the + at the bottom right to subscribe)
From Mrs. Pudelko:

Dear St. Anthony families,

Tomorrow, instead of a full school Mass, we will be having a prayer service. The president of Grand Rapids Right to Life, Laura Alexandria, will be speaking to our students about praying for the vulnerable, how Right to Life supports new moms, and where the coins collected will be used. Following, some of our middle school students will lead us in prayer. The annual school Spelling Bee will follow. We are excited to welcome Assistant Superintendent, Sarah Grey as one of our judges for the Spelling Bee. Parents are welcome to attend in person and sit near the choir area. This event will not be available via livestream.

As you saw in an email from me on Wednesday, the recommendations from the Kent County Health Department have been updated when dealing with positive COVID cases and close contacts. Lisa Barnum has been fantastic in helping track all of the information with me. Every case is unique and we are doing our best to navigate all things COVID. Your support and patience are greatly appreciated.

Did you know that we have fully implemented our new Math textbook in grades Kindergarten through 8th grade? Funding for this was provided by our "unAuction" last year, and because we received EANS funding, we were able to purchase the program through 8th grade, as well as all of the manipulative items to support the learning. Our teachers have spent time learning how to teach the standards using the new textbook and online components. Title II funding that we receive from the State of Michigan paid for professional development for our staff. Our teachers will continue their professional development through in-person training sessions throughout the rest of this school year. Teachers and students alike have given us great feedback on the text we selected. I am excited to see the growth of our students specifically in the area of math as we take the NWEA Map Assessment. Teachers will spend the afternoon of January 28th analyzing the test data.

Parents are invited to attend the first Home & School Meeting of 2022 on Wednesday, January 19. If you haven't attended a meeting before, now is a great time to start. The meetings are informal and your input is valued.

We have a long weekend, as Monday is a day off to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day. Have a wonderful weekend - this is a great opportunity for our middle school students to spend some extra time studying for exams.

Stay warm -
Jenny
Noteworthy News:
  • MIDDLE SCHOOL EXAM SCHEDULE: Please see the attached First Semester MS Exam Schedule.

  • HOUSE CHALLENGE: One more day left! The Middle School Houses are having a coin/penny collection. All money collected will be sent to Grand Rapids Right to Life. The collection has been extended until January 28th.

  • PLAY-DOH COLLECTION: St. Anthony of Padua Kindergarten Ministry is collecting play-doh for the Child Life specialists at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Our goal is to collect 100 tubs of play-doh by the 100th day of school! (February 7) See the attached FLYER for more information.

Notes from last week:
  • FREE THROW CONTEST: On Saturday, January 15, St. Anthony will host a free throw contest for girls and boys ages 9-14. The contest starts at 2:00 PM. Please contact Mr. Wieber (cwieber@saparish.com) for sign-ups - this form requires a parent signature in order to compete.

  • GIRLS ON THE RUN COACHES NEEDED: St. Anthony is currently signed up to host a Girls on the Run team this spring. Coaches are needed to continue this program for 3rd to 5th grade students this year. Please contact Lisa Barnum (lbarnum@saparish.com) by January 3rd if you are interested in volunteering. Registration is opening soon and coaching must be in place to activate our school registration. What is Girls on the Run?
January Hot Lunch Menu:

Click image to bring up interactive live calendar. Please note we will not be continually sending separate blasts with last-minute changes due to continued shortages in the supply chain. This link along with the app will be updated automatically as soon as changes occur. (click on the calendar)
AmazonSmile:
Amazon shoppers, this is for you!

AmazonSmile is a great opportunity to raise money for St. Anthony School. If you are planning to make any purchases on Amazon, please look at using AmazonSmile when making your purchases, as St. Anthony will receive .05% for each purchase when using AmazonSmile at no cost for you!

How it works:
  • Go to https://smile.amazon.com/, and then log in to your Amazon account.
  • Click the "Get Started" button.
  • When looking for the charity name, type in "St. Anthony of Padua Church" - please make sure the location is listed as Grand Rapids, MI.
  • Begin shopping!

**Please note that each time you are making a purchase on Amazon, be sure to always start at https://smile.amazon.com. We suggest creating a bookmark directly to your smartphone screen.**
Athletic News: 

  • ATHLETIC COMMUNICATION and CALENDAR: The athletic calendar will be updated regularly with practices times, game times, and deadlines. Please use the athletic calendar as a reference point for planning. It can be found on the school website and St. Anthony app. All athletic communication should be sent to athletics@saparish.com. **Please note all last-minute changes and cancellations will be found on TeamSnap App Notifications and Chats screen from GRACEAC, coaches, and athletic directors**

  • WINTER II SEASON: Please remind your students of their grade responsibility for eligibility. Activity eligibility is reviewed weekly by teachers. Please see the Athletic Handbook on the school website for specific details. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Barnum, Interim Athletic Director or Chad Wieber, Dean of Students.

  • SPORTS PHYSICALS: All students grades 3rd through 8th are required to have a physical dated after 4.15.2021 on file with the school office before the first day of scheduled practice. Forms can be found here and emailed to athletics@saparish.com or dropped off to the school office.

West Catholic HS Athletics News:

  • WEST CATHOLIC ESPORTS LEAGUE: Calling all middle schoolers interested in E-Sports! Participate in 1-2 hour practices each week with one-hour matches against other middle schools in the state of Michigan. Sign up HERE!

  • STRENGTH & CONDITIONING: This is open to all 7th and 8th grade students from January 3 - January 28. 8th graders who have already applied to WC get a 50% off discount code! Learn more and find all of the details HERE.
Home & School Association Updates:

  • CHUCK E. CHEESE FUNDRAISER NIGHT: Join us for a fundraiser night at Chuck E. Cheese (Alpine) TONIGHT, January 13, starting at 3:00 PM. Chuck E. Cheese will donate up to 20% of all sales to St. Anthony! See the attached flyer HERE. You must bring the flyer with you that night.

  • JANUARY MEETING: Join Home & School for the January meeting. January 19 at 6:00 PM. Come hear about upcoming events, meet new people, share your ideas, and more!

  • DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE...CANCELED: The Daddy Daughter Dance that was scheduled for February 26, 2022 has been canceled.

  • ARTOME: Save the Date! March 15 from 5-7. The Artome art show that will include artwork created by St. Anthony students that will be for sale. Proceeds will support the art department. More information to come.
SCRIP Office News:

Cash and Carry and Order Pick Up Schedule:
Friday 8am-8:30am and following school Mass until 9:30 am, as well as following 9am Sunday Mass.

**Orders are due on Monday’s by 8:30am

Have you downloaded the RaiseRight app? This app pairs with our ShopwithScrip and allows you to check out daily deals and easily purchase gift cards on the go!
St. Anthony of Padua App:

Please search "St. Anthony of Padua School" in the App Store or follow one of these links to download it. From here, all school information will be at your fingertips! The push notifications will allow you to stay connected to all important information, quick calendar access, staff contacts, and much more!
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St. Anthony of Padua School | 616-453-8229 x200
schooloffice@saparish.com | www.saparish.com
The school newsletter is sent weekly on Thursday. Any items to be submitted for the newsletter must be submitted by Tuesday via email to Ben Novitsky (bnovitsky@saparish.com).