Dear Families of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School,

I want to take this moment to introduce you to our new school resource officer, Deputy Raymond Shaw! Deputy Shaw joined our school a couple of weeks ago and will be our full-time officer this year and we are so grateful to have him here!

Deputy Shaw is born and raised in Houston. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Organizational Leadership from the University of Charleston. He has over 36 years of law enforcement primarily in patrol duty. He also aided in the SWAT Team while working in the training division with instructing in weapons, officer survival training, and with High Risk Warrant service. In 1997, Deputy Shaw moved from Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department to the Shenandoah Police Dept., where he took a position as a Patrolman/Training Instructor, until retiring in 2020 as the Chief of Police and the Emergency Management Director. Raymond was in command of the Emergency Operations Center during Hurricanes Rita, Ike, and Harvey. During these epic storms, he developed plans to aid with transportation for refugees displaced by the storms as well as acquiring meals for the storm shelters all throughout Montgomery County. He was also one of the founding members of a multi-county organization, CART (Child Abduction Response Team). Raymond was the developer of LEMIT (Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas) Active Shooter/Deadly Threat training for Sam Houston State University that was taught throughout Texas. During Raymond’s career at the Shenandoah Police Department, he has been a member of the Texas Police Chief’s Association had a 96% approval rating from the residents of the city.

Deputy Shaw also loves building community and having fun! He developed community programs such as Birthday with an Officer, Coffee with Cops, and the Safety Expo which included all supporting Law enforcement Departments, Fire Departments, Department of Public Safety, Texas Wildlife Department, Texas National Guard, Army, Navy, and Marine Corp all in attendance. He has been joining me in visiting classrooms and looks forward to building community at St. Anthony of Padua!

Deputy Shaw is a recipient of many awards and recognitions, including The Governor’s Star of Texas, the Purple Heart, and several meritorious awards along with multiple Chief of Police letters.

When you see Deputy Shaw on campus, please make him feel welcome and thank him for his service to our school!

Only by His Grace,

Veronica Tucker

Principal 

REMINDER - EMAIL SECURITY PRECAUTIONS

Please refrain from clicking on links or opening attachments sent from email addresses that do not end with @ap.school, regardless of whether they appear to be from familiar names. All official communications from St. Anthony will originate from @ap.school. Remember to scrutinize the sender's email address carefully before replying or taking any action to safeguard against potential phishing attempts and protect your network's security and integrity. Thank you for your vigilance and cooperation in maintaining a safe digital environment for all.

GREAT HISTORY CHALLENGE RESULTS

Great History Challenge is a nationwide educational competition for Middle School students, where they use their knowledge of various historical eras and topics to see who knows their History! Our school entered the Challenge in December (12/19/23) where we had all our middle school students take an entry quiz. 15 of our students qualified for the Regional Round, which was hosted at our school last night. St. Anthony had 10 students qualify for the National Championship Round that will be held in Chicago on May 24-27.

National Qualifiers

6th Grade: Noah Daigle & Sebastian Medina (Top 5 qualifier)

7th Grade: Kohen Lawless

8th Grade: James Curtin (Top 5 qualifier & overall 2nd place finisher at Regional Round), Jacob Fenn, Maddie Hinkle, Carlos Garza, Andrew Oghena, Nicholas Velardo, Evan Sophia Zander 

NEW STUDENT ENROLLMENT FOR 2024-2025

• New student enrollment began Monday, February 5.
• Applications can be found at - https://ap.school/admissions 
• Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, February 14 in order to be considered in this round of enrollment
• If you have questions or need assistance contact Cathy Russell at crussell@ap.school.

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS RETREAT - Feb. 24

All middle school girls are welcome to the St. Anthony's Middle School Girls' Retreat on February 24, 2024, from 9 am-2 pm in the Youth Room! We will spend the day doing activities, eating, and spending time with each other and the Lord! Please sign up for each participant; we can't wait to spend the day with you!

DNN - Feb. 2 & Feb. 9

ATHLETICS UPDATE

DOLPHIN BASKETBALL THIS WEEK

2/5/24: The girls and boys teams traveled to St Rose of Lima to battle the Cardinals – JV Boys won 30-18, Varsity Boys won 51-38 and the Varsity Girls won 20-14!

2/7/24: The Boys hosted the Knights of Regis – 6th grade wpm 29-21, 7th grade & Varsity fought hard but came up short of the win.

2/8/24: “On the Road Again” the Boys and Girls team traveled to Katy to taken on the Magi of Epiphany. The results - Varsity Girls fell short 29 to 22, Varsity Boys won 52 to 44 & the JV Boys won in a tight one 19 to 17.

DOLPHINS BASKETBALL NEXT WEEK

2/13/24: The Dolphins Boys teams will take on the Crusaders of St. Martha Catholic School: 6th grade boys at 4:30 PM, 7th boys at 5:30 PM & the Varsity boys at 6:30 PM

2/15/24: The boys teams will travel to St. Anne Tomball: 6th grade boys at 4:30 PM, 7th grade boys at 5:30 PM & the Varsity boys tip-off is at 6:30 PM.

NURSE NOTES

For 2/5/24-2/9/24:

Kindergarten: Reported case of Conjunctivitis

1st Grade: Reported case of Influenza A (assumed per urgent care)

1st Grade: Reported case of lice

5th Grade: Reported case of Strep Throat

8th Grade: Reported case of Conjunctivitis

Late Reports from the week of Jan. 28 (end of the week):

Kindergarten: Reported case of Conjunctivitis

6th Grade: Reported case of Strep Throat

Please report any specific diagnosis to Mrs. Pavlock or Attendance.  

SPANISH DANCE CLUB

Mondays | 4:00-4:30 PM

Open to 2nd-5th Grade.

Starting Feb. 12. A high-energy class for boys and girls packed with kid-friendly routines that combine choreography and aerobics. Based on original Spanish-style choreography, we’ll dance to culturally diverse music from around the world (reggaeton, salsa, merengue, cumbia and hip-hop). Join Señora Johnson as we improve our endurance, instill healthy habits, and develop strength and coordination! Cost is $20. SPANISH DANCE CLUB SIGN-UP

2023-2024 YEARBOOKS

Order your '23-'24 Yearbooks now! Yearbooks are $45 and will be delivered at the start of next school year.

You may also create your own page! Commemorate your student's school year!

• Full page ad - $150
• 1/2 page ad - $75
• 1/4 page ad - $50

All orders will be placed online using this link:

https://www.balfour.com/texas/the-woodlands/st-anthony-of-padua-catholic-school

GIVING BY LIVING - Minted.com

Use Code: FUNDRAISESAPCS for a 20% discount and they will donate 15% back to our school! https://www.minted.com/ . Minted offers Valentine's cards, artwork and more! The discount code can be used year-round!

😍💕LOVE OUR SCHOOL AUCTION DRIVE!💕😍

Our Gala Committee is seeking items or services to add to our Gala Auction and we would love your help! Here are some ideas:

• Travel - Cruises, round-trip tickets, luxury hotel accommodations; use of resort condos or family vacation homes; use of private jet, helicopter, or yacht; and unique getaways.
• Sports, Health, and Fitness - VIP boxes or seating at sporting events; golf, tennis, biking or exercise equipment; lessons or coaching (golf, tennis, dancing, yoga, etc.). 
• Entertainment and Dining - Lunch or dinner at restaurants or clubs; premium wines or wine tours; entertainment packages (concert, ballet, theater, etc.); chef for an evening or party; limousine services; and passes to theme parks.
• House and Home - Electronic items (iPod, computer, camera, Kindle, etc.); theme baskets (chocolate lover, coffee lover, book lover, music lover, children's toy packages, etc.); home décor; and landscaping services.
• Golf - Threesomes or foursomes at private clubs; home, condo or hotel with golf and meals.
• Beauty and Fashion - Fine jewelry and watches; designer handbags or luggage; spa, beauty, and cosmetic packages.
• Unique Opportunities - Exotic car for a weekend (Ferrari, vintage car, etc.); hot air balloon ride; behind-the-scene tours (museums/theaters/ TV stations); tickets to major events (World Series, Masters, film premiers, etc.); golf with a celebrity, hunting excursions.

To ensure proper recognition, please submit auction donations no later than March 1, 2024.

To make donating an auction item even easier, our gala committee has put together an Amazon Gift Registry featuring some of the gift cards or items we would like to include in our auction packages! Items may be shipped directly to the school or dropped off at the front desk anytime during school hours. Please include your family's name with your donations/gift cards so that we can provide proper donation acknowledgment.

Questions? Contact Katie Tressel at: ktressel@ap.school.

AVAILABLE SIGN-UP PARTIES

All proceeds benefit the gala & our school!

Tuesday, Feb. 13 - MARDI GRAS BREAKFAST & PARADE - For Families - Last Chance to Sign-up! Sales Close Sunday!

Thursday, March 21 - PUPPY PARTY - For 2nd Grade Students

Friday, March 22 - DINO PARTY - For Pre-K3 Students

Friday, March 22 - WILDLIFE PARTY - For 3rd Grade Students

Friday, April 26 - LUAU PARTY - For 1st Grade Students

SOLD OUT SIGN-UP PARTIES

Saturday, Feb. 24- PAINT, SIP & REPEAT - For St. Anthony Moms

Saturday, March 2 - CRAWFISH BOIL - Adult Party

Thursday, April 18 - LUNCH WITH FATHER JESSE - For 2nd Grade Students

STEPS FOR STUDENTS

Last chance to support our team! All funds raised will be directed towards our continued security upgrades!

All Team Members may wear their Steps for Students t-shirts & jeans on Monday, Feb. 12th.

FATHER JESSE IS RUNNING TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL! Consider donating to support his run at: https://runsignup.com/frjesse

Thank you to Doucet Safety Analysis for sponsoring our team shirts! Thank you to the Knights of Columbus for sponsoring our team tent in the Catholic Schools Village!

We are closely monitoring the weather forecast for Saturday. While Steps for Students is designed to be an all-weather activity, we encourage you to use your best judgment when considering whether to attend. Should you choose not to attend due to weather concerns, we completely understand and respect your decision. It is possible that the Knights of Columbus may not attend with our tent if the weather is stormy.

FISH FRY

The Knights of Columbus need our help! Earn Paduan Points or Service Hours (Middle School) by volunteering at the Fish Fry on Feb. 23rd! Thank you for helping make this annual joint event a success!

PARENTS: There are opportunities below to bring in baked goods for selling at the Fish Fry - all proceeds from dessert sales benefit our school! If you volunteer at the Fish Fry you earn Paduan Points! Please help individually package cookies, bars, brownies for sale.

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS: There are opportunities below to assist the Knights as runners, servers and at the baked goods table. Middle School students who volunteer are eligible for service hours.

THERE ARE MANY SLOTS AVAILABLE - PLEASE KEEP SCROLLING THROUGH THE SIGN-UP LINK! 🐟

MONDAYS - Chess Club, 3:45-4:30 PM, Library.

MONDAYS - Strings Club, 3:45-4:30 PM, Band Hall.

MONDAYS - Spanish Dance Club, 3:45-4:30 PM, Spanish classroom. (Sign-up)

TUESDAYS - Student Rosary Group, 7:15 AM in Paduan Center.

TUESDAYS - Parent Rosary Group (English) 8:15 AM, PLB Room 204. 

WEDNESDAYS - Mass Choir, 6:45 AM, Sheltz Hall. 

WEDNESDAYS - Sacred Soles Run Club, 3:30 PM, Sports Fields.

WEDNESDAYS - Art Club, 3:45-5:00 PM, Art Room.

THURSDAYS - Parent Rosary Group (Spanish) 8:15 AM, PLB Room 204.

Please check the calendar and/or communications from club advisors regarding cancellations or changes. 

02/10/2024 - Sci Tech at College Park High School

02/10/2024 - Steps for Students

02/12/2024 - Steps for Students T-shirt & Jeans Day for participants

02/12/2024 - Morning Assembly in the GYM, 8:00 AM

02/13/2024 - GALA: Mardi Gras Breakfast

02/13/2024 - Internet Safety Day

02/13/2024 – INTERNET SAFETY PARENT PRESENTATION: Supervisory Special Agent Torrence White, 6:00 PM, Library

02/14/2024 - Mass (4A), Ash Wednesday, 9:00 AM, Church

02/14/2024 - NO RUN CLUB

02/15/2024 - SPIRIT SHIRT AND JEAN DAY

02/16/2024 - SCHOOL HOLIDAY

02/19/2024 – STUDENT HOLIDAY - Staff Development

02/21/2024 - Confession, 8A, OLA Chapel

02/21/2024 - Mass (4B), 9:00 AM, Church

02/21/2024 - Teacher of the Day Experiences (some may be held on alternate dates)

02/22/2024 – Wonka Jr. – 4th and 5th Grade Program, 6:30 PM, Gym

02/23/2024 - Front Desk Adventure - Tentative

02/23/2024 - Spring Pictures - Free Dress “DRESS UP” day. This is an opportunity for your students to “Dress Up” or wear “Sunday Best”, but a uniform is acceptable. All clothing must follow Free Dress guidelines.

02/24/2024 - GALA: Paint, Sip & Repeat

02/24/2024 – Middle School Girls Retreat, 9 AM-2 PM, Sign-up at: https://ap.school/girlsretreat

Full Calendar available in ParentsWeb!

PARISH CHILDREN'S CHOIR - LENT & EASTER

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of music as our choir takes you on a journey through three extraordinary seasons. Season one is centered around Lent and Easter with weekly rehearsals that crescendo into a spectacular Liturgy at an Easter Mass. Get ready for an unforgettable experience filled with soul-stirring melodies and the joy of communal singing. We believe in making music accessible to all, and to cover the costs of top-notch music materials, we've set a nominal fee of just $25 per student per season.

Tuesday Rehearsals (6:30pm-7:30pm) (rehearsals held in the Band Hall)

2/20 • 2/27 • 3/5 • 3/19

Saturday Dress Rehearsal (10am-12pm) (Dress Rehearsal held in the Church) - 3/23

Easter Sunday Mass (9am Mass) - 3/31

More info & registration: https://ap.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2142331

PRIEST MEALS

A Meal Train has been created to help feed our priests at the rectory weekly. If you would like to sign-up to provide a meal, please click the link, review the instructions and pick a date to sign-up! https://mealtrain.com/e17zoe

RICE BASEBALL VS NOTRE DAME BASEBALL

Catholic School Day - Saturday, Feb. 17

Join Cardinal DiNardo and other Catholic School students for Rice vs. Notre Dame Baseball on Saturday, Feb. 17th! Any student who attends the game will have the opportunity to stand with the players for the national anthem and run the bases after the game. To purchase tickets visit: riceowls.com/catholicschoolday.