School Newsletter
12.9.21
Mission:
St. Anthony of Padua School Community
engages students in academic excellence
while guiding them to live as a reflection of Jesus.
From Mrs. Pudelko:

Our students have been focusing on "Breaking the Chains of Complacency" during this Advent season. This week we focused specifically on how we can improve in our complacency in our church life. We've asked some reflective questions each morning on announcements, and these are also posted on the bulletin board near the main entrance.

Students will have classroom Christmas parties on December 17 at the end of the day. Room parents and/or the classroom teacher have likely already reached out to families regarding the format or needs for the party. As a precautionary health measure, we are only allowing room parents at the party and are asking that they wear a mask regardless of vaccination status in the classroom. This is always a fun day for our students as we prepare for the 2 week Christmas break!

Please note the change in School Mass schedules - there is not a school Mass on Friday, December 10 or Friday, December 17. We will be having Mass on Monday, December 13 to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Our Developmental Kindergarten through 5th grade Christmas program is Tuesday, December 14 at 6:30 pm. Families should plan to be arrive and seated by 6:20 pm. As a reminder, we are inviting household members only to view the program and extended family members can watch online. To protect the health of everyone involved, Christmas program guidelines:
  • Students are asked to wear masks except while singing.
  • Guests are asked to wear masks while at the program.
  • Students will sit with parents when they arrive and then be dismissed about 6:25 pm to go to their classrooms with their teachers. Students will come to the church when it is their time to sing and then after singing will return to their seats with their parents.
  • The last song will be a group song. Students will stand and sing from their pew.
  • No paper programs will be distributed.
  • The program will be available via live stream on Facebook and YouTube.
Calendars:

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


Google Calendar Subscription (click the + at the bottom right to subscribe)
Noteworthy News:


  • CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WEEK: Be ready to dress festive next school week!!! (December 13-17) Find all of the themes here: Christmas Spirit Week 2021
  • 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 and for details.

  • GIVING TUESDAY DONATIONS: Thank you to all of our donors who contributed their donations to St. Anthony on GivingTuesday! Your generosity and support to our school are greatly appreciated!!

Notes from last week:
  • CHRISTMAS DRIVE: This year, the 8th grader's ministry is the St. Anthony Community. Through this Friday, we are asking students to bring in items for those families that are in need in our St. Anthony community. The members of the Franciscan house will be collecting the items gathered and sorting them. Each class is assigned a specific item(s) found here: Christmas Drive Items
December 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:

  • WINTER II SEASON - GIRLS BASKETBALL: Registration for GRACEAC winter II is now open. Girls basketball is available for 5th-8th graders. Please register HERE by Friday, December 3rd for team formation. Practices can begin Monday, January 3rd with games beginning Saturday, January 15. Reminder sports' physicals must be on file to begin practice (see information below).

  • GIRLS BASKETBALL COACHES NEEDED: If you are interested in coaching girls basketball, please contact Lisa Barnum at athletics@saparish.com. Coaches must have a current concussion training certificate on file before the season starts. 

  • WINTER I 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 BASKETBALL BOYS AND GIRLS YOUTH CAMPS: Starting December 18th! K-4th grade. Learn more and sign up here.

  • WEST CATHOLIC YOUTH CHEER CAMP: Spend time stunting, tumbling, jumping, and cheering! Receive a holiday gift and invitation to attend a competitive cheer invitational after attending cheer camp at WC! Find all of the details including how to sign up HERE.

  • 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:

  • APPLEBEE'S RESTAURANT NIGHT: Join us for dinner at Applebee's on Lake Michigan Drive on December 14, 2021, from 1:00-6:00 PM. Please visit Applebee's and they will take your order from their storefront or takeout. When purchasing your meal, mention your group's name to receive 20% of your meal's price donated back to St. Anthony's. See the attached flyer HERE.

  • FIVE BELOW: Shop at Five Below between December 12 and December 18 and 10% of your purchases will be donated back to St. Anthony's! Please present the flyer attached HERE to the cashier at the time of purchase.

  • 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!


  • COOKBOOKS FOR SALE: Cookbooks can be purchased in the school office. These make a nice holiday gift for $10.

  • SNOW BAGS: Winter is quickly approaching! Snow bags are for sale in the school office for $5. If you are interested, please contact the school office at schooloffice@saparish.com or 453-8229, ext. 200.
SCRIP Office News:
Christmas Schedule: Last day to place an order before Christmas is FRIDAY, December 17th at 8:30 am. Pick up will be WEDNESDAY, December 22nd from 5:15-6:15 pm. We will be closed during Christmas break.

You will still be able to purchase via RaiseRight and use instant downloads. We will return to our normal schedule, January 2nd for Cash and Carry following Mass.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Parish Office News:

  • LIVE NATIVITY: Join St. Anthony’s For Our Own LIVE NATIVITY SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2021 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM Drive-by viewing for everyone’s safety. Hot chocolate for everyone who attends! See the attached flyer HERE.

  • LIVE NATIVITY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Middle school students: do you want to earn points for your household? We are still in need of several middle school students to help hand out hot chocolate, booklets, or flyers to cars driving by during our Live Nativity on Saturday, December 18, from 5:30-7:30 PM. Click the SignUpGenius link to sign up or contact Ben Novitsky in the School Office by calling 453-8229, ext. 201 or email bnovitsky@saparish.com.
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