Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are thankful to all the parents who attended our 2nd Trimester Mass and Awards Ceremony in the church last Friday. (Those students who might have been missed for any reason will be announced at this Wednesday’s all school assembly at the St. Jude statue. Parents are invited to attend.) We have a culture of excellence at St. Anthony’s, and when your children are awarded, it is a reflection of their hard work, and of you as parents. All the sacrifices you make and the support you give them are significant, so thank you for your continued involvement and investment in your greatest treasures – your children. I was so happy to see many students earn awards. I thank all our teachers and parents for their tireless work with our students. We also want to recognize our 8th graders who have already been accepted into Catholic high schools. We are so proud of you!
I loved seeing all our talented students perform during our Virtual Talent Show, which we watched in the Hall last week. Thank you to Mrs. Garcia and Sr. Tho for coordinating this year’s show for us with our Student Government. Congrats to all the participants. Mrs. Garcia sent home the video of the talent show via email.
Yesterday Daylight Saving Time began, so hopefully you have all adjusted your clocks to SPRING FORWARD! This week we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, 3/17. Students may wear Green tops and Jeans to school. Today, K-3 goes on a field trip to the Aquarium, grades 4-5 go to a field trip on Tuesday, and this week our 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th graders have a class retreat. Our 8th graders will be going with Mrs. Navia, Mrs. Dyogi, and Mr. Aguilar to Catalina Island. We pray for their time together that it is fruitful.
Our Spring Picture Day is scheduled for this Thursday, March 24. Only students who purchase photos may come to school in Free Dress that day.
This Saturday, 3/19, we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Because this special day falls on a Saturday, we will invite all Father Figures to attend Mass with us on Friday, 3/18. Those special people may sit next to the student with their class at our School Mass.
Just a reminder that next Monday, 3/21 is a Student Free Day. There will be NO SCHOOL for our students because our Faculty and Staff will be attending a Staff Retreat with me off campus.
Today marks the first day of our All School Marian Consecration. It will culminate on May 11, the same day as our May Crowning, led by the 8th graders.
I’d like to say a special thank you to Claudia Guzman and Priscilla Ortiz, our Interior Maintenance PLC Chairs, as well as our parent volunteers who are coming to clean the school this past weekend. We appreciate you! The next opportunity to earn service hours is on Saturday, March 26 from 12:30-3:30pm. Thank you to all our parent volunteers who help keep our school clean!
In planning for next year, please email me if you are interested in being a lead for any of our Parent Leadership Committees (PLCs). Our children’s school experience is directly related to the level of involvement of our families. We have been blessed to have supportive parents over the years. Some leads will have their children graduating this year and we need more parents to lead for the coming year. Please remember that the leads may reach out to committee members, but it is each parents’ responsibility to respond so they can earn their family’s 30 service hours. Throughout the year, we always send emails re: opportunities to earn hours by volunteering or donating gift cards for school needs. If you choose this route, please buy Scrip through the school and donate the gift cards so you can earn double credit.
Please note that starting March 14, masks are strongly recommended, and not required indoors or outdoors. If you or your child want to continue to wear your mask for extra protection you may do so. Some teachers may request that your child continue to wear them in the primary grades, as many have not yet been vaccinated. If you have not been vaccinated or you have not had Omicron (COVID in the last 90 days), this may be a good idea to keep your masks on. If you or your child ever have symptoms, please stay home to ensure everyone’s safet
Mrs. Grey, Principal
SCHOOL CALENDAR 2021-2022
(Be sure to always check www.stanthonygardena.org and your child’s teacher’s blog, along with our SAP School app for the most current information.)
- March 17: St. Patrick’s Day wear green shirts
- March 18-20: Catalina Trip for 8th grade (Mrs. Navia and Mrs. Dyogi chaperoning)
- March 21: Faculty and Staff Retreat, Student Free Day No School
- March 24: Spring Picture Day (only students purchasing pictures may come in Free Dress)
- March 28: First Reconciliation for 2nd graders in the evening in Church
- April 4: School Lenten Penance Service starting at 8:45 grades 2-5, 10:15-12 grades 6-8
- April 6: All School Spelling Bee
- April 14: Holy Thursday Noon Dismissal (grade level retreats)
- April 15: Good Friday NO SCHOOL, Easter Break begins
- April 16-25: Easter Break
- April 25: School Resumes
- April 25-29: 7th and 8th grade trip to Washington DC (Sr. Tho and Mrs. Navia chaperoning)
- April 26: Progress reports go home for the 3rd trimester
- April 27: 8th Grade Graduation Pictures (Keys Photography) Tentative, subject to change
- April 30: First Holy Communion for school children (2nd graders)
- May 4: 3rd and Final Mandatory General Parent Meeting ($50 fine for non-participation, must attend the whole meeting)
- May 6: Scrip Money Due
- May 9: Student Government Campaigns Begin
- May 11: May Crowning led by 8th grade and last day of All School Marian Consecration
- May 18: Student Government Speeches and voting (Google Classroom)
- May 23: Last School Lenten Penance Service starting at 8:45 grades 2-5, 10:15-12 grades 6-8
- May 23-24: End of Year Gently Used Uniform Sale (donations can be brought to office, especially Kinder and 8th grade)
- May 26: New Parent Orientation (Zoom at 6:30pm) Slide show
- May 27: Parent Service Hours due, Service hours on Gradelink cutoff date, Inauguration of ew Student Government, Gradelink Blocked, end of 3rd trimester for 8th grade
- May 30: NO SCHOOL Memorial Day Holiday
SCRIP
One easy way to help you reach your $500 financial commitment is to purchase Scrip throughout the year. We accept credit cards in the office for your orders making it easier than ever! It’s basically buying gift cards to purchase things like groceries, gas, gifts, or things you need and want on a daily basis, but you can get fundraising credit for a portion of every gift card you buy! Work smarter, not harder! We have Scrip for Starbucks, Vons, Albertsons, Sam’s Club, Home Depot, Gardena Supermarket, and so much more.
SCHOOL DONATIONS AND SERVICE HOURS THROUGH INTERIOR MAINTENANCE
For families looking to pay off their service hour commitment 10 per trimester (30 for the year), our school gives the option to buy Scrip/gift cards and donate them to SAP. We buy a lot of materials and supplies from Office Depot, Walmart/Sam’s Club, and Target for much needed supplies, so if you buy Scrip valued at $10/hour and donate it to the school to offset costs, we will credit your service hour account. (Next year our service hours will be worth $15/hr. to keep up with the minimum wage.) Parents who volunteer on Saturdays can earn service hours cleaning our school with the Interior Maintenance PLC. Please join the group. Thanks in advance! The next few Saturdays are March 26, April 2, April 9, May 7, and May 21.
RALPH’S AND FOOD 4 LESS COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM
Just a reminder that our school is a member of the Community Rewards Programs for both Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores. For the Ralphs & the Food 4 Less Programs, you can opt in for the Community Rewards Program using your Ralphs or Food 4 Less Club Card. Please note that there is a different enrollment code for each of these stores. It is very important that you register the cards as soon as possible prior to the next time you use them, or the school will not receive benefits. Then please have the cashier scan the card or enter your ALT ID every time you make a purchase at Ralphs or Food 4 Less and we will receive a small percentage of each sale! We invite any parents or guardians who shop at Food 4 Less or Ralphs, even occasionally, to consider enrolling as this is an easy way to benefit the school without it costing you anything extra. We thank you in advance for your participation and thoughtfulness!
EARN ONE SERVICE HOUR FROM HOME!
Parents who review our school online on Yelp, Google, AND greatschools.org will earn up to one service hour after you send me your screenshots of all 3 sites as proof: to agrey@stanthonygardena.org.
ON-CAMPUS PRIVATE TOURS AVAILABLE
I have been conducting private tours and scheduling meetings with prospective families this month. If someone you know would like to schedule a tour on campus with me, please contact me at agrey@stanthonygardena.org. Don’t forget our referral incentives! You can earn up to $150 in Scrip or have it credited toward your tuition. Ask me how!
St. Anthony of Padua – Pray for us
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