St. Pius X / St. Leo School Newsletter
May 7, 2020
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RACE FOR EDUCATION UPDATE
Thank you to all our families who participated in the 2020 Race for Education. We are deeply appreciative of all those who brought in mailing labels and engaged in physical activity during our virtual Race on May 1, 2020. We are excited to report that we have received Race for Education sponsorships from friends and families across the country that currently total
over $52,000 after expenses
! We are particularly grateful for the generosity of our sponsors given the strains of the COVID-19 pandemic being experienced by so many. These funds support our school operating budget and, in particular, the educational needs of our school. We encourage families to thank those who sponsored their children. Please email michaela.smith@spsl.net for a list of your sponsors. Thank you!
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SURVEY
The United States Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, And Economic Security (CARES) Act, which includes one-time relief funding for local school districts, intended to address challenges of providing education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Nebraska Department of Education is seeking feedback from all stakeholders to understand local needs as well as potential investments and supports. Please take a moment to complete this short
survey
, also available in Spanish.
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St. Pius X / St. Leo School is a diverse community forming students in the Catholic faith to excel in academics and service to others.
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2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR
Please reference the school website for information pertaining to the new school year (e.g. calendar, supply list). The information can be found
here
. We will update the website as new information becomes available regarding to the new school year.
If your child(ren) will not be returning to SPSL for the 2020-2021 school year, please let us know by emailing kathy.graney@spsl.net.
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GOLF TOURNAMENT
For the past 15 years, we have enjoyed hosting school supporters at our annual golf tournament. We are sad we are unable to gather together this year for this time-honored tradition which plays an important role in furthering our school's mission. As we navigate this time of uncertainty, supporting our students and school community is more important than ever. We hope you will join sponsors like Leo A. Daly, Hughes Tree Service, American National Bank and still support St. Pius X / St. Leo School in lieu of tournament play. If you are able to give at this time, please make an online donation
here
. The SPSL golfer will guide you to the donation link. Thank you for your support! I
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EXTENDED CARE
Registrations for extended care for the 2020-2021 school year are being mailed today to families currently in the program. Please watch for them in the mail. The deadline for returning the forms to school is on or before Friday, June 5th to hold your place in the program for the next school year. For any new parents to the program, please email Cheri Freese at cheri.freese@spsl.net and she will send you registration information.
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STUDENT COUNCIL
The members of the 2019-2020 SPSL Student Council are the following students: 5th graders - Rico Akakpo, Nola Herfordt, Elli Jones, and Honora Pulido-Volkmer; 6th graders - Lucy Mendenhall, Austin Ramsey, Matthew Renfro, and Thomas Walsh; 7th graders - Ellie Brabec, Isaiah Hiatt, Tommy Novotny, and Grace Peklo; and 8th graders - Caden Bosiljevac, Avi Kampe, Lilly Risch Bakhit, and Brooklyn Sauer. Some of the activities the Student Council led included the food drive collection, EPS baby bottle drive, a pep rally, and a virtual spirit week. These students along with their coordinator, Mrs. Tiffani Herfordt, were great leaders for our school. Thanks for leading us and showing us fun ways to help others.
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LAW DAY ESSAY COMPETITION
For the fifth consecutive year SPSL eighth grade students participated in the Omaha Legal Professionals Association Law Day Essay Contest. The OLPA awards cash prizes for the top three entries. Once again, our students performed quite well. Thirteen well-written essays were submitted by Mr. Greg Gorski, 8th U.S. History teacher, that he thought answered the Constitutional topic
"
Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100"
. Of those entries, Kenadie Rudloff's entry was judged the top essay and earned a $150 prize, while Scarlett Wharton's entry won second place and a $125 prize. The OLPA will publish the essays in an upcoming edition of
The Daily Record,
the local legal newspaper.
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SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!
SPSL is participating in Omaha Gives!, a 24-hour fundraising event organized by the Omaha Community Foundation. Omaha Gives! donations to SPSL will be used for tuition assistance for our families in need, particularly those suffering from the strains of the COVID-19 pandemic. Omaha Gives! is
Wednesday, May 20
from midnight to midnight, but we encourage you to
pre-register your donation today
. To do so, just visit
www.omahagives.org
. Click the Sign Up button in the upper right corner, enter your contact information, and then pick St. Pius X / St. Leo School.
The minimum gift amount is $10.
For more info on Omaha Gives!, visit their website at
www.omahagives.org
.
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OPEN HOUSE FOR THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR
Open House for Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade will be held on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. The Open House will be from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. The classroom lists will be posted near the classroom areas that evening for students to find out who their teacher will be for the 2020-2021 school year. Families are invited to stop by the gym to check out clubs, visit the classrooms, and visit with teachers. Students may bring their school supplies to their homeroom either this night or the first day of school.
The first day of school for Grades K - 8th will be Thursday, August 20. School will begin at 8:15 am and will dismiss at noon (no lunch served) on August 20 and 21.
Students will attend school full days, 8:15 am until 3:25 pm, beginning on Monday, August 24.
Three day and five day Pre-Kindergarten classes begin on Monday, August 24. Two day Pre-Kindergarten classes begin on Tuesday, August 25.
The above schedule assumes school resumes in the fall as outlined on the
2020-2021 school calendar
. If any details change, parents will be notified well in advance.
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SAVE THE DATE
FOR THE ANNUAL
FALL FUNDRAISER
DATE AND TIME:
Saturday, October 24 at 5:30 pm
LOCATION:
Creighton Prep High School
Join the SPSL community for a fun event to support St. Pius X / St. Leo School featuring a plated dinner, open bar, raffles, auction, and more! If you would like to donate to the Panther Raffle, click
here
. For more information on the event or to volunteer, contact the 2020 Fundraiser Chairs:
Ashley Connor
avconnor@gmail.com
Jill Ferguson
jill.ferguson@nmhs.org
Susan Proulx-Herron
sproulxherron@gmail.com.
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NOTES FROM THE NURSE
Thank you to the volunteers that helped with the health screenings this school year. The volunteers' help ensured that the screenings ran smoothly.
Just a reminder for students who will be in Kindergarten or 7th grade this fall - health physicals and updated immunization records are due to the school office before school begins in August.
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THANK YOU
Thank you to all who provided delicious treats for faculty and staff birthdays this year. Your generosity was appreciated. Thank you to Connie Schartz for coordinating the weekly treats.
Also, thank you to all who donated to Straight from the Heart. Due to your generosity, treats were provided to teachers and staff throughout the school year. Many thanks to Amina Hogan and Erica Williamson for coordinating all of the Straight from the Heart fun days!
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CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS' SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
The following students were presented with scholarships on February 11. Representatives from each of the high schools listed below presented the following students with academic scholarships:
Creighton Prep - Graham App and Simon Goitom; Duchesne Academy - Mary Kelly, Lilly Risch Bakhit, and Guiliana Weber; Gross Catholic High School - Gabe O'Doherty; Marian High School - Martha Engel, Kenadie Rudloff, and Scarlett Wharton;
Mount Michael High School - Leo Ramsey; and Roncalli Catholic High School - Bailey Benson, Logan Chambers, Johanna Fillmore, Sam Fillmore, and Alex ten Bensel. Congratulations to all of these students and their parents who support them in their academic endeavors!
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RONCALLI PRIDE SCHOLARSHIP
Congratulations to the following 8th grade students on receiving the Roncalli Catholic PRIDE Scholarship: Carly James, Sarah Perlman, Christian Swift, and Alex ten Bensel.
These scholarships are awarded based upon the leadership qualities the individual has shown and developed in combination with the applicant’s score achieved on the Roncalli Catholic Placement Exam.
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ROTARY AWARD WINNERS
Five of our 8th grade students were selected as Rotary Club Honor Roll students. This award is given to students in the 8th grade for their outstanding achievements in leadership, presence, scholarship, and character. This year's worthy recipients of the Downtown Rotary Honor Roll Award are: Ziyad Mohammed, Will O'Doherty, Sophia Owens, Lilly Risch Bakhit, and Guiliana Weber. Congratulations to these students!
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Duke University in Durham, NC sponsors a Talent Identification Program (T.I.P.) for seventh grade students. In order for a student to qualify, they must score at or above the 95th percentile on the standardized Terra Nova Tests in the math, science, language, reading, social studies, or total composite area. This past school year, 16 of our 71 seventh grade students (23%) met these criteria. Thus far this school year,
three of the 16 students chose to take the ACT or SAT assessment that is primarily designed for above-average high school students in the eleventh and twelfth grades. Out of these three students, two of our students qualified for the State Recognition Ceremony. The two students are Natalya Jones and Connor Smith. Connor Smith also qualified for the Grand Recognition Ceremony at Duke University. Congratulations students!
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Want to learn how the every day things you do – eating, reading, traveling, surfing the web, shopping, can earn money for St. Pius X / St. Leo School? Click here for a list of all our
on-going fundraising efforts
.
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p:402.551.6667
f:402.551.8123
6905 Blondo St, Omaha, NE 68104
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