ST. ANTHONY CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Dear Parents/Guardians:

If you have been in the building this week, you have noticed the Nativity Set has been out and about in the building as we celebrate Advent. The shepherds and animals are downstairs outside the cafeteria, and just as Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem and searched for an inn to no avail, their statues are moving around the building as well. The Magi are travelling, following the star, and are currently outside the gym—they will find their way to the Nativity at Epiphany. Be sure to pray with your children and discuss Advent as we anticipate the upcoming Christmas season.

On francescoproductions.com last week, Fr. Stan Fortuna addressed Thanksgiving and our need to turn to the Lord for the freedoms with which we are blessed: “Once we taste the sweetness of this inner freedom and the ongoing development of true freedom, which is the fruit of love, the unceasing energies that push us to regress into that passionate pursuit of our own self-interests are overcome through the patience of daily sacrifices.”

While I at times get caught up in the moment of the day-to-day needs, I look into the faces of our students, and I am reminded of the true purpose that guides our lives here at St. Anthony’s—from that I am strengthened. I pray you all had a blessed holiday, and that your children, too, give you strength and that fruit of love Father Stan addressed.

Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Dick Thompson, shared with us that there is a series of books we should be aware of titled, Conversations with God by Neale D. Walsch. The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the "voice of God." However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God. For example, the author, writing as God, supports pre-marital cohabitation. The staff and I will keep you informed of other information we may receive.  

Remember tonight is the State of the School address following a pizza supper sponsored by PTSO that begins at 6:30. Please bring $5.00 to help defray costs.

As PTSO prepares the yearbook, they are in need of digital photos. If you have photos of our students, teachers, staff, or parents participating in class or activities, please send them to Becky Japp at bajapp@hotmail.com. Also, please call her at 580-2972 if you would like to be involved in producing the yearbook. The soft cover is company-designed and produced, but photos, layout design, and writing is created by the talents of parents AND students.

Get Ready! You will be contacted soon and asked to help out with cookies for the music program. We need each class to bring about five dozen cookies. The teachers are coordinating parents to help.

The Franciscans are accepting donations of diapers, onesies, sleepers, socks, bibs, burp cloths, receiving blankets, and baby blankets or quilts. They will assemble the donations into layette packages to be presented to Birth Right of Logan County. The items may be new or in good used condition—with the exception of the diapers, of course.

Last but certainly not least, we give thanks for the kindness of others. Thanks to all of you who ate supper at Wendy’s on the 17^th and participated in the Wal-Mart Recycling Challenge—we earned $189 for Community Night at Wendy’s, and we earned a $500 gift-card for winning the recycling challenge—part of that money will go toward purchasing materials to establish recycling here in the building.

Also, Peggy Swedlund wrote a Wal-Mart community grant for us for $1,000, and Becky Japp donated 25 hours of service to our school as part of Wal-Mart’s Volunteerism Always Pays grant—we received $250 for that. I would be remiss if I did not thank all of the individuals who have contributed money in our effort to purchase a commercial freezer and refrigerator. May God bless you all for your benevolence. Finally, thanks to Mary Jane Benton who donated a book in memory of Isabel Foxhoven and to Brandon Nichols for the donation of books and puzzles.

Until next week, pray that God may help us to imitate Mary as she said, “Thy will be done” (Mt 6:10), and that we imitate the faith and trust of Jesus’ guardian, St. Joseph.

Pax et lux,

Joseph Skerjanec

school@saintanthonyssterling.org                                                                                                                    principal@saintanthonyssterling.org

Lynnette Werner                                                                          970-522-7567                                                                           Joseph Skerjanec