From the Desk of Mrs. Schweitzer



Welcome to a new school year! With a new year comes a new theme! For the 2025-2026 school year, our theme will be “Come Follow Me.” In the Gospel of John 10: 27-29, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.”

What do these words mean to us as disciples of Jesus? During this Jubilee year in our church, we are called to be “Pilgrims of Hope.” We are supposed to contribute to our Church’s mission of unity and charity. John 10: 27-29 shows that Jesus knows us inside and out; He knows everything about us, and He loves us deeply. Jesus is our “Good Shepherd”, and we are “His flock” who are called to listen to His will for us and follow Him. In order to do this, we must try to learn and understand scripture and the traditions of the Catholic church.

This school year, we will spend time focusing on the Sunday Gospel readings and what they tell us about how we, as Pilgrims of Hope, are to follow Jesus, so that when our Good Shepherd says to us, “COME FOLLOW ME”, we listen, follow, and become a more unified Church.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 1:18-24
Word of the Week: Emmanuel
Prayer for the week: Jesus, Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23), come into our hearts and help us to serve one another.

Mission and Vision Statement

Blessings,
Mrs. Schweitzer

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We Love Our St. Anthony Family!

DRAMA CLUB – Drama Club will meet after school Tuesday, December 16th until 4:00. Students will be dismissed on the lower lot. The next drama club meeting will be Tuesday, January 6th until 4PM.

PTO MEETING – Tuesday, Dec. 16th, there will be a PTO meeting at 7PM in the school library. Join us as we discuss upcoming events such as Open House.

REMINDERS – Makeup (including nail polish and artificial finger nails) is NOT to be worn in school. Students are not permitted to wear face or body make-up but are permitted to wear fingernail polish on out-of-uniform days. Also, boys’ hair may be no longer than to the collar, and in the front, should not hang in student’s eyes and should be neatly trimmed. Please ensure your student(s) are following these handbook guidelines. Also, our diocesan school lunch program does not allow outside fast food to be brought in. Sodas/sugary drinks/sports drinks should not be in water bottles. Soft drinks/sodas should not be packed in a lunch brought from home.

EARLY DISMISSAL – This Friday, Dec. 19th, school will dismiss at 1PM. There WILL BE BUS SERVICE for those students who ride the bus home.

CHRISTMAS BREAK – School will be closed for Christmas break from Monday, December 22nd until Friday, January 2nd. School resumes on Monday, January 5th.

HALF TRIMESTER – Monday, January 5th marks half trimester. Grades will be updated in Sycamore for you to review and discuss with your child/children.

MAP TESTING – Three times a year it is required that our school administer MAP Tests to students in Grades K-8. Students in Kindergarten and Grade 1, Reading and Math are tested. In Grades 2-8, Reading, Math, and Language are tested. Please be sure that your children are well rested, and as always, encourage them to do their best to stay focused and give their best effort. For the testing session in the fall, I had to retest more than a handful of students whose results were skewed.

SAVE THE DATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 9th – MOVIE NIGHT for all families in Fleming Hall. More details to follow after break – Stay tuned!

INCLEMENT WEATHER REMINDER – Please remember that in case of inclement weather, a telephone call will go out to all families, local televisions stations will be notified, and an email will be sent stating plans regarding delays or school closings.

PE SHIRTS – PE t-shirts may be worn to school on MONDAYS when the students will have PE. Black gym shorts, sweatpants, or uniform bottoms may be worn with the t-shirt. The sponsorships on the back of the shirt covered the cost for one shirt per student. A few extra shirts are available in limited sizes for $10 each – contact the office if you would like to purchase one.

SCHOOL ABSENCES - Please be sure to contact the school office by 7:30AM if your student will be absent on a given day. Completion of the St. Anthony Reentry After Absence Form or a note will be required upon the student’s return to school. A copy of the form is attached to this newsletter. After 3 days, a physician’s note / release is required to accompany the form or note.

TECHNOLOGY REMINDER – Please remember that the students' school emails and Chromebooks are meant for school/academic purposes only. Misuse of school emails and Chromebooks is considered a misuse of technology and a ten point violation which would result in two detentions. This also applies to cell phones and other devices such as watches used for texting during school hours. All of this is stated in the student handbook. Any important communication from your child/children during the school day should be via the school office phone or email. I have reminded students of this policy.

2025 / 2026 SCHOOL CALENDAR – Our school calendar for this year is attached. 

CONTACT INFO – As a reminder, weather delays or closings and other school emergencies will be communicated via PHONE & EMAIL. If you have not received these communications over the last few weeks, PLEASE contact the school office. Also, if you have a change in your phone number or email, please notify the office.

COMMUNICATION – This school year, the Diocesan schools will once again be using Sycamore Education for online grading. For assistance logging in, please contact the school office.

VIRTUS is the brand name that identifies best practice programs designed to help prevent wrongdoing and promote right-doing within religious organizations. The VIRTUS programs empower organizations and people to better control risk and improve the lives of all those who interact with the Church. “Protecting God's Children® for Adults” is training conducted by VIRTUS® certified facilitators on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The training makes participants aware of the signs of child sexual abuse, the methods and means by which offenders commit abuse, and five easy steps one can use to prevent child sexual abuse. The Diocese requires all adults who enter the school building or are around school children in any capacity, must be in full compliance with the charter. This requires completed paperwork on file with the Diocese, attendance at a one-time Virtus Live Training session and maintenance of monthly online bulletins. More information can be found at www.virtus.org. In summary, ALL ADULTS who would like to be involved with our school children must be Virtus certified and in compliance with the National Charter, “Protecting God’s Children” program. This means that all volunteers are required to be VIRTUS trained -- this includes classroom volunteers, field trip sponsors, room mothers, cafeteria workers, coaches, and substitutes, etc. New parents wishing to be VIRTUS trained should register online at www.virtus.org. If you are transferring from another parochial school, please make sure you add St. Anthony School to your VIRTUS account. If you already have an account with VIRTUS and it has been suspended or if you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bottom.

LUNCH THIS WEEK
• Tuesday - Chicken Quesadilla
• Wednesday – Confetti Pancakes
• Thursday – Chicken Nuggets
• Friday – Cheese Bites
• Monday, Jan 5th – Hamburger / cheeseburger
• Tuesday – Jan 6th – Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza

IMPORTANT REMINDERS
• WATER BOTTLES – There are no water fountains available in the building. Water refilling stations are available. Each student should bring their own water bottle – Please remind them! A limited number of cups are available in the office if a student forgets, but school should not be asked to provide a cup every day.
• ICE CREAM FRIDAYS – The cafeteria offers ice cream to students every Friday afternoon for $1. Students should give their money to the homeroom teacher on Friday morning unless it has already been sent in to the office.
• DISMISSAL – Please be sure to arrive at school to pick up your students ON TIME and in the designated area that you have been instructed to park in. Traffic tends to become a problem if cars arrive once dismissal has occurred. Students line up in the school based on the area they will be dismissed to. The bus should depart BEFORE any cars leave the parking lot. If you have questions, please contact the office.

UPCOMING EVENTS
- TUESDAY, DEC. 16TH – PTO MEETING @ 7PM
- FRIDAY, DEC. 19TH – 1PM DISMISSAL
- DECEMBER 22nd – JANUARY 2nd – CHRISTMAS BREAK
- MAP TESTING – MONDAY, JAN. 5TH THROUGH WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28TH
- EL JINETE NIGHT – TUESDAY, JAN. 13TH FROM 4PM UNTIL 9PM
- NO SCHOOL – MONDAY, JAN. 19TH – MARTIN LUTHER KIND, JR. HOLIDAY
- TUESDAY, JAN. 20TH – PTO MEETING @ 7PM IN THE LIBRARY

KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS – Please designate St. Anthony as your Kroger Community Rewards partner.
Here’s How!
1. Login or create your digital account at www.kroger.com
2. Link your Card to an organization.
Selecting the organization that you wish to support is as simple as updating the Kroger Community Rewards selection on your digital account.
1. Sign in to your digital account.
2. Enter the name or NPO number of the organization you wish to support.
3. Select the appropriate organization from the list and click “Save”.

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