January 7, 2022
Dear Families of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School,

Happy 2022! Break was wonderful but it’s so awesome to be back! It was only about three weeks but every year when we return, I feel like the students have grown taller and matured. We are three days in and we have hit the ground running! 

Thank you to all who reached out to report COVID cases and exposures over the break. Interestingly, we had a total of 42 students and staff who were impacted by COVID over the break. As of yesterday, we had two new cases since school began this week. Luckily, none reported very severe symptoms and all have recovered relatively quickly! Thanks be to God! The protocols for our campus are included here (and in Nurse's Notes below) with one change regarding close contact with someone in the home. As mentioned in the earlier communication, please keep your student home if sick. And please continue to pray for the health of our entire school community. 

Only by His Grace,

Veronica Tucker
Principal
CURRENT STUDENT RE-ENROLLMENT FOR 2022-2023
  • Re-enrollment for returning students is Monday, January 24 – Wednesday, February 2.
  • You will receive an email on Jan. 24th when your student’s re-enrollment packet is ready on your FACTS Family Online (ParentsWeb) account.
  • Tuition and fee payments must be current on your FACTS account.
  • If you have questions or need assistance contact Cathy Russell at crussell@staopcs.org.
ALL-SCHOOL NEWS
MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS RETREAT - January 29th
Middle School (6th, 7th & 8th Grade) Girls are invited to join us for a morning of crafts, games, community, prayer and being enough for ourselves and the Lord. Snacks will be provided! Register your middle school daughter by January 14, 2022 for this awesome retreat! Register at: https://ap.school/girlsretreat
  • January 26th | 9 AM - 12 PM | Bishop Sheltz Fellowship Hall
  • $15 per attendee (to be billed in FACTS)
SPRING SPORTS
Hey Dolphins! It is time to find out who is willing to make the commitment to St Anthony’s Baseball, Softball or Track programs. Please complete the Spring Sports Sign-up Form by Friday, Jan. 22nd if your student is interested in the following sports:
 
  • Boys Baseball - 6th, 7th & 8th
  • Girls Fast Pitch Softball - 5th thru 8th
  • Boys & Girls Track - 5th thru 8th
2021-2022 YEARBOOKS
Order your '21-'22 Yearbooks now! All orders will be placed online using the button link below. Yearbooks are $45 and will be delivered at the start of next school year.
 
You may also create your own page or ad!
  • Full page ad - $150
  • 1/2 page ad - $75
  • 1/4 page ad - $50
PHOTO SHARING
Do you have great photos of athletics or school events that you'd like to share for use in our yearbook or in school media? Please upload photos to our school Dropbox at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/FempJtk0mApnkMAr3OjV. Photos can be uploaded at anytime before the end of the school year. Thank you for helping us showcase our students! If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Tressel at advancement@staopcs.org.
NURSE'S NOTES

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 document regarding screening of your students and on-campus requirements should someone test positive for COVID-19.

  • Parents, please call or e-mail attendance@staopcs.org and Mrs. Pavlock (lpavlock@staopcs.org) if a child is out for illness.
  • REMINDER: Students must stay home if a household member is being tested for COVID and must remain out until results have returned.
PADUAN PARENTS
CAR LINE VOLUNTEERS - Morning & Afternoon
We always need volunteers who are willing to help with car line in the mornings or afternoons! If you can volunteer, please contact Mrs. Bierbaum at cbierbaum@staopcs.org. Thank you for offering to help!
PADUAN POINTS & FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
Family involvement is a vital part of the success of St. Anthony of Padua and volunteers greatly enhance the experiences of our students. Parents are asked to acquire family volunteer hours called Paduan Points annually. Here a reminder on how it works:

PADUAN POINTS REMINDERS:
Each family is required to complete 20 Paduan Points for school-related volunteer activities between August 1 – April 30. Volunteering that takes place in May must be preemptively recorded (Graduation volunteering, Fun Field Day, etc.).
  • Service hours are to be completed by parents (or close family members) of the students only.
  • Partial hours of service are rounded up to the nearest half hour.
  • Families may not bank hours for future years.
  • Families may not transfer hours to other school families.
  • Paduan Points tracking is an “honor system”, meaning families enter their own time in ParentsWeb. All volunteer hours are reviewed throughout the year by the school administration to monitor family progress towards the agreed 20 Paduan Points per family per school year.
  • Each family will be billed $10 for each uncompleted Paduan Point (maximum of $200) on your family’s FACTS account on May 1st.
  • Final report cards and school records will not be released until payment is completed.

HOW TO LOG PADUAN POINTS:
Volunteer hours* can be logged in ParentsWeb by following these simple steps:
  1. Log in to ParentsWeb.
  2. Select “Family Information” from the ParentsWeb navigation list.
  3. Select the name of the parent who has volunteered, then select “Service Hours” (link next to Parent Contact Info).
  4. Select “Add Service Hours”.
  5. Select the Date of service. Select Description from drop down list. Enter Total Hours or points assigned to your duty - list of volunteer positions and points assigned are listed on our website. The Note section is optional and can be used for further detail about volunteer service. If known, indicate who is responsible for the program for which service hours were performed in the Verified By field (leave blank if unknown). Select “Save”. Service hours summary will appear after saving.

EASY WAYS TO ACCRUE PADUAN POINTS:
  • Participate in restaurant Spirit Nights - 1 Paduan Point
  • Make a gift (in any amount) to the Fund for St. Anthony - 5 Paduan Points
  • Volunteer at morning or afternoon car-line - 1 Paduan Point per day
  • Contribute to Gala Basket or donate to Gala - 2 Paduan Points
  • Attending parent meetings (i.e. What's Brewing) - 1 Paduan Point
  • Check out the Paduan Point chart for more ways to earn points!

THANK YOU for supporting our school! For more information about Paduan Points or volunteering visit: https://ap.school/volunteer-opportunities
STEPS FOR STUDENTS
Steps for Students is an annual event benefiting the 56 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston- Houston. Over the last 16 years, this exciting day of family fun has brought together our Catholic community for a sunrise Mass, sanctioned 5K race and a post-race party in the Catholic School Village. We are very excited to return to gathering in person safely in 2022!

St. Anthony of Padua's Steps for Students team will be raising funds to fund a technology iPad cart to facilitate our new NWEA testing program. This is critical in allowing our testing to be conducted more efficiently among all grade levels. Thank you for supporting this effort!

FUN FOR TEAM MEMBERS:
  • The student who raises the most through their individual fundraising page will win an iPad!
  • All students who attend the race and beat Mrs. Tucker’s time will get a Homework Pass.
  • Middle School students who join our Steps for Students Team and attend the race will earn 2 service hours.
  • All students who join our team can wear their Steps for Students t-shirts and jeans on Monday, Feb. 14th.

JOIN OUR TEAM. There are 4 ways to participate:
  1. 5K TIMED: Compete against other runners and your best 5K time on this route! Price: $20.00 Race Fee
  2. 5K UNTIMED: Like the Timed 5K.... but not timed. Price: $18.00 Race Fee
  3. FAMILY FUN RUN: Under a mile route. Price: $17.00 Race Fee
  4. HIT THE SNOOZE FOR STUDENTS: Support Catholic schools without running the race! Register to Hit the Snooze and you will still receive the official race t-shirt shirt, but will not receive a bib or race medal. This is the option for those who would like to participate virtually. Price: $18.00 Race Fee

IMPORTANT DATES:
  • January 26, 2021: Deadline to guarantee a "St. Anthony Race Shirt" sponsored by Doucet Safety Analysis.
  • January 31, 2021: All race fees increase by $10.00.
RUN FOR THE ROSES GALA
AUCTION BASKETS & REGISTRY
This year's Class Baskets have been re-imagined as themes with your choice of basket to participate in instead of being grade-level specific. Please see the flyer for more details on each basket theme.

To make shopping even easier, our gala committee has put together an Amazon Gift Registry (https://www.amazon.com/wedding/share/runfortheroses) featuring many of the items we would like to include in our auction baskets/themes. Items may be shipped directly to the school or dropped off at the front desk anytime during school hours. To ensure proper recognition at the auction and on our Gala website (apschool.givesmart.com), please submit your donations no later than March 11, 2022. Please include your family's name with your donations/gift cards so that we can provide proper donation acknowledgment.
PARTIES & SOCIALS
We are excited to announce more Gala Parties & Socials! Parties & Socials are hosted by faculty or families and can be adult, family or child-centered—and most importantly, FUN! All proceeds from Gala Parties & Socials benefit our school and students!
Kindergarten - 2nd Grade (SOLD OUT)
January 27
3rd - 5th Grade (SOLD OUT)
January 27
6th - 8th Grade
January 27
Adult Party (SOLD OUT)
February 12
AROUND OUR COMMUNITY
Don't Miss the Frassati Catholic High School Open House - January 12
Explore Frassati Catholic High School on January 12, 2022 from 6-8pm at the January Open House! We'll be providing tours of campus with the opportunity for you and your family to meet faculty and students. Come learn more about the culture, community, and curriculum at Frassati Catholic, and ask any questions you have about the admissions process. Register for the Open House at frassaticatholic.org/openhouse
Frassati Catholic High School - Applications for 2022-23
The Frassati Catholic application for the 2022-23 school year is still open for prospective students! The application process is simple and it begins with the online application. Prospective families can find all the information they'll need to apply at frassaticatholic.org/apply. If you or someone you know is interested in continuing their authentic Catholic education through high school, consider the dynamic experience at Frassati Catholic High School. And, with a new football/soccer/track/cheer stadium on schedule for construction by the fall of 2022, new students will be the first to experience home football games in 2022 (learn more on the Home Field Advantage website).

For questions about enrollment contact Mr. Tim Lienhard, Director of Enrollment, Marketing & Communications, at admissions@frassaticatholic.org or 832-616-3221.
PRIEST MEALS
A Meal Train has been created to help feed our priests at the rectory weekly. If you would like to sign-up to provide a meal, please click the link, review the instructions and pick a date to sign-up! https://mealtrain.com/e17zoe
CALENDAR
MONDAYS - Chess Club, 3:35PM, Library 
TUESDAYS - Parent Rosary Group (English) ,8:15AM, PLB Room 204 
TUESDAYS - Awakening! Bible Study (Middle School), 7:15AM, Paduan Center 
WEDNESDAYS - Art Club, 4:00PM, Rm 213 (Art Room)
WEDNESDAYS - Running Club, 4:00PM, Sports fields 
WEDNESDAYS - Student Rosary Group, 7:15AM, Sheltz Hall
THURSDAYS - Parent Rosary Group (Spanish) 8:15AM, PLB Room 204 
Please check the calendar and/or communications from club advisors regarding cancellations or changes. 
1/11/2022 - Spirit Day - Republic Grill West Woodlands, 4 PM - 8 PM
1/12/2022 - Mass (1A), 9 AM
1/12/2022 - Room Parent Meeting, 10:15 AM
1/13/2022 - $5 Free Dress benefiting Student Council
1/17/2022 - Martin Luther King Jr Day - SCHOOL HOLIDAY
1/19/2022 - Mass (1B)
1/21/2022 - 8th Grade NET Retreat
(281) 296-0300
7901 Bay Branch Dr.
The Woodlands, TX 77382