School Newsletter
Summer Edition: July 22, 2021
Mission:
United by faith and service, 
St. Anthony of Padua School community forms knowledgeable students who are moral and courageous Catholic leaders.
From Mrs. Pudelko:

The summer is flying by for me, and I know for many of you it feels the same! I am thankful for the slower-paced summer and the ability to spend time with family as we prepare for the arrival of Baby Pudelko!

Mr. Wieber and I have been meeting regularly and are anticipating a great school year ahead! Our 3 - year old preschool is one of the largest programs we've had in several years! This is exciting news as we bring in a new generation of Wildcats! We continue to have openings in all grade levels and would love to share the gift of Catholic education with more families. If you have friends or family with school-aged children, please encourage them to give me a call to discuss our programming. (Our referral program remains, details can be found below!)

I met last week with many of the other principals in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. We have not received any further direction on the need for additional COVID protocols for the school day. I did receive an email today from Superintendent Faber that the CDC public order from January 2021 remains in effect, which means masks are required while on school buses. More details of this order can be found here. I will remain transparent in the information that I receive as we near closer to the opening day of school.

Class lists and staffing assignments will be shared at the beginning of August. For now, enjoy the sunshine and time together with your family!

God bless,

Jenny

Noteworthy News

  • RECESS / LUNCH SUPERVISORS NEEDED: We are in need of playground and lunch supervisors this school year. The school office will work with your schedule. Playground workers are needed 11:15am to 12:30pm and lunch supervisors are needed from 11:35 am - 12:50 pm. Workers receive a $10 stipend towards tuition each time they work (applied bi-annually). If you are available to help, please contact the school office 616-453-8229 x 200 or schooloffice@saparish.com.
  • OFFICE COMMUNICATION: As we streamline communication in the office, we are asking that parents use the school office email, which is schooloffice@saparish.com
  • VIRTUS: We plan on having parents back in school to volunteer for the 2021-2022 school year. Any parent who volunteers with children MUST have completed the online Virtus class - this includes coaching, classroom parties, field trips, and playground supervision. Please take some time this summer to take the Virtus class if you plan to volunteer in any capacity during the school year. If you have taken the class in the past, your account should still be active.
  • SCHOOL SUMMER OFFICE HOURS:
  • During the month of July the office is open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am - 12 pm or by appointment.
  • The office opens from 8 am - 3 pm beginning August 2nd.
  • SUPPLY LISTS: Supply lists are posted on the school website and the St. Anthony App for the upcoming school year.
  • 2021-2022 TRANSPORTATION: Catholic Secondary Transportation is utilizing online registration for the 2021-2022 school year. Please see the attached link to register for bussing for next year: Transportation 2021-2022
  • REFERRAL SCHOLARSHIP: We continue to offer our referral scholarship again this year. If you have friends or family who may be interested, please pass along the information. We have openings in all grades levels and would love to welcome new members to our St. Anthony school community!
  • CHILD CARE: Child care registration for Fall should be done online. Child care opens on August 25th, the first day of school. The first day of school for preschool - 4 year old is August 30 and for preschool - 3 year old is August 31st. Preschool students can start with child care beginning on August 25th, as long as all paperwork is complete. Please complete the registration here.
  • CHILDREN’S CHOIR: Exciting news! The Children’s Choir will be starting up again this September! The Choir is open to students Grades 2 through 8. Rehearsals will begin on Thursday evenings beginning Sept 9 (6:00pm-6:45pm). We will meet in the gathering space for a “social” and move into the church to rehearse. The Children’s choir will generally sing the second Sunday of the month at 9:00am Mass (along with the special Christmas and Easter Masses). If you have a child in the upper grades that would like to run the monitor during rehearsals they would be very welcome to join us as well@. Any questions contact Vonnie Clark (vclark@saparish.com) or 616-485-0695. Looking forward to the JOY of the children’s VOICES!
Board of Directors Updates:

We have two members of our Board of Directors who have completed their terms. Thank you to Kelli Pelak who served for 6 years on the Board and to Andrew Ysasi for 5 years of service. We have been blessed by your contributions and service. Thank you for your continued support of this ministry in our community.
Home and School Association Updates:

Please follow the Home and School Association Facebook page for updates! Our first Home and School event will be collaboration with our back to school open house on Monday, August 23rd.

Athletic News:

  • FALL SPORTS REGISTRATION: Please register your student for fall sports by August 9th. Although GRACEAC’s official team roster date is August 23rd, early registration allows for Athletic Directors to evaluate numbers and form teams in a timely manner for submission to GRACEAC. 3rd and 4th Grade or 5th-8th Grade
  • COACHES CORNER: St. Anthony is asking ALL COACHES to complete their concussion training this year prior to the start of the appropriate season. Online certification is required every 3 years and can be done online here. Please send the completion certificate to athletics@saparish.com. Additionally, coaches are required to be Virtus trained and have a Volunteer Background information packet on file. Virtus may be done online (here) and the volunteer packet is available upon request. Please email athletics@saparish.com if you have questions or need to check your status of Virtus (required once) or Volunteer paperwork (every 5 years).
  • 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.
  • 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 Notifcations and Chats screen from GRACEAC, coaches, and athletic directors**
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.


St. Anthony of Padua School | 616-453-8229 x 200
schooloffice@saparish.com | www.saparish.com