Dear Parents/Guardians:

 

Deo Gratias! We have much to give thanks for as God blesses us so abundantly. Each day I walk into the classrooms, I can’t help but feel the hand of God on the shoulders of our teachers and students. It is a marvelous sight to behold as our children grow in the love of Christ with each breath they take and each syllable they speak.

We also give thanks for the wonderful prayer service the eighth-grade students shared with us on All Hallows Eve as we prepared for our visits to Devonshire and the Sterling Living Center…and we received many compliments on our students’ behaviors and costumes. Thank you all for the example you model with your children!

We were interrupted from our last letter with our festivities, so I will continue today with the Third Essential Mark of a Catholic school, “Animated by Communion and Community.” Educators, administrators, parents, and bishops guide the school to make choices that promote “overcoming individualistic self-promotion, solidarity instead of competition, assisting the weak instead of marginalization, responsible participation instead of indifference.” Catholic schools strive to create a community school climate that reproduces, as far as possible, the warm and intimate atmosphere of family life. As I have mentioned previously, our school “works” because of our partnership in bringing our children closer to Christ.

Please mark you calendars for the upcoming State of the School Address with Fr. Robert on Thursday, December 4th. He will fill you in on our status, and provide an opportunity for questions. We will also have registration papers and scholarship information available. It is hard to believe, but it is already time to start thinking about next year’s registration! It is also a prime opportunity to take advantage of the financial assistance that is available.

Picture retakes with Skillman Photography will be Tuesday, November 11th at 12:30 p.m. If you were absent you may purchase a new package. If you purchased a package and want a retake, you must return the original package in full with reason for retake clearly stated on package. Please refer to the guidelines on back of package as what justifies a retake. Additional package offerings with order forms are available in the office if you need one.

Also, dental screening for the second graders who signed up will take place on Tuesday, November 25th at 9:15 AM.

It won’t be long and our Catholic Schools Week Celebration will be here as the world-famous Fr. Stan Fortuna kicks it off with a concert that Sunday evening. Visit www.francescoproductions.com and get a sampling of the variety of music with which God has blessed him. From Contemporary Christian to Jazz, Folk, Reggae and Rap, this incredible musician and composer has produced music for the enjoyment of all ages and walks of life.

Fr. Stan has been playing music since the second grade when his father gave him his first instrument for Christmas—a red electric guitar! His love for music grew into early adulthood as he began the life long journey of learning the art of improvising by practicing countless hours and playing many sessions in the New York area. It was during that time that Fr. Stan began hearing his true calling in life and was eventually ordained a Roman Catholic priest. Look for ticket sales soon.

Remember Wendy’s Restaurant is hosting St. Anthony Community Night on Monday, November 17, 2008 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. We are still in need of families to be present to greet people and thank them for their support. Please call the office and let us know if you are available.

            Congratulations are in order to the following students who made the Honor Roll and Effort Award:  4th grade Honor Roll: Abbey Brower, Kristi Cook, and Sarah Reed; 4th grade Effort Award: Austin Burkholder, Abby Davidson, Clifford Farrington, Morgan Headley, Emmanuel Oketunmbi, Dustin Quint, Michael Sell, Kennedy Timmerman, and Jessica Williams; 5th grade Honor Roll: Justice Bretz-Saenz, Ben Lambrecht, Emily Lovell, Eric Lovell, Neil Lovell, Kelly McDonald, and Joey Stahley; 5th grade Effort Award: Kyle Etl, Jenna Knudson, Katherine Lambrecht, Nakani Miller, and Shelbe Jo Schure; 6th grade Effort Awards: Gabrielle Lambrecht and Sean Pomeroy; 7th grade Honor Roll: Matt Brower, Ian Coberly, Eric Etl, Burr Leibert, and Scott Rosas; 8th grade Honor Roll: Tanner Bedsaul, Aaron Delgado, Hanna Hickert, Kyle Lengfelder, Morgan Quint, Kelsie Schaefer, Hannah Schreyer, and Kara Williams. Job well done! Keep up the great work!

            Also, congratulations to Henry Rosas for winning the grand prize of $1,000 at the Bazaar and a big thanks to Henry for donating his winnings to the school!

We also give thanks for the benevolence of the following people: Cindy Hoal for the books she donated to our school, Sandy Lambrecht for the donation of books for the school library, and the Knights of Columbus who donated 300 Tootsie Rolls to the school children.

FYI, the school received $8.75 for the aluminum cans. Thank you, and now we have a new challenge. Wal-Mart, in cooperation with the DOC and Waste Management, will be holding a Recycling Challenge. Each Saturday during the month of November, you can bring your number one and two plastics, aluminum, and tin to the Wal-Mart parking lot from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the name of St. Anthony Catholic School. The school with the most pounds recycled in November will win a $500 gift card to Wal-Mart. Let’s start this Saturday and get your recycled material in!

Lastly, thank you all for your response to the dress code surveys. When we have the information compiled, we will share the results. If you haven’t responded yet, we are taking them through Friday, November 7. (I apologize, the letter showed one date and the survey showed another.)

We give thanks for God’s blessings and the intercession of the Saints as our school continues to thrive in the love of Christ. May God bless you and your family as his peace and light inspires us always.

 

Pax et lux,

 

 

 

Joseph Skerjanec