As I began writing this week’s newsletter it occurred to me that next Sunday is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week (yes, already). Given our busy schedules and our very long “to-do” lists, it’s sometimes easy to lose track of time. And if we tend to watch too many news channels, we might all be trying to make sense of life and navigate through the many challenges that come our way. One way for us to understand our lives, and life in general, is to look at them through the many experiences that happened during Holy Week.

What defines all of those days? One of the captivating moments of the event of Palm Sunday, is that in less than a week, many of the same people who welcomed Jesus as their king, would then be involved on the following Friday with the crowd who demanded that Pontius Pilate crucify him. Good Friday, for example, is a day of suffering and sacrifice. There are some days you get to the end of, and you probably feel like that's the kind of day you've had. What's Holy Saturday? It's a day of darkness, doubt, anxiety, confusion, and a day where faith is definitely tested. There are far too many of those days in our lives. What’s Easter Sunday? It’s a day of new life. Perhaps there's the birth of a baby in the family, and we see it as a miracle, a gift from God. It’s the type of event that renews our faith and gives us hope for the future.

These great moments in the life of the Church and the life of Jesus provide powerful lenses through which we can see our lives in a new way, expanding our understanding of ourselves and others while deepening our faith in God. In the spirit of our Catholic faith, we are constantly reminded that doing our best isn’t about being perfect—it’s about growth, effort, and intention. Every day our students, faculty, staff, and families at SPA contribute to a vibrant community, and it’s evident that God’s love is reflected in the way we treat each other, the way we learn, and the way we support and serve others. May these last two weeks of Lent strengthen our spirits as we prepare for the joy of Easter to fill us all with peace and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Peace and Blessings,

Crystal Pinkofsky

Principal

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SPA CHESS CHAMPIONS!

We recently received the following wonderful news regarding our SPA CHESS TEAM from Paul Choi, one of our school parents. We are so very proud of these students, and very grateful to the parents who have coached and supported them during this special event.

First and foremost, we express our gratitude to all the players and parents for making this tournament a great success despite the short preparation time. Seeing the students remain focused and give their best throughout the matches was genuinely inspiring. Additionally, with over 1,000 players, more than 4,000 family members, and spectators attending this large-scale event, we sincerely appreciate parents' unwavering support and enthusiasm.

Thanks to everyone's dedication, we achieved outstanding results: (The detailed result table is at the bottom of the email.)

• The Rising Star K-2 Team secured 1st place as a school team in the Saturday and Sunday tournaments.
• Saturday: Margot Smith, Jun Kim, Dash Brandenburg, Chloe Xu
• Sunday: Will Hoehner, Luke & William Downey, Reiss Osborn
• A special mention goes to Will Hoehner, who won 4 out of 5 matches and placed 4th out of 38 players, and Luke Downey, who finished in 7th place, both of whom made it into the Top 10.
• Dio (7th Grade) participated in the K -12 section, scoring 3 points (including two wins) and finishing 11th overall. He demonstrated a remarkable performance against strong competitors in this highly competitive category.
• In the K-5 section,
• Joseph Crandell showed great composure and resilience on Saturday, earning 2.5 points.
• On Sunday, Vincent, Ally Scheible, and Joe Traboulsi each secured 2 points, bringing their total to 6 points and leading their school team to the first place.
• In the Junior Varsity K-5 section, Co-captain Elliott Wood delivered an impressive performance in his first major tournament, earning 4.5 points across 10 matches.
• Our other Co-captain, Jun Kim, had an exceptional performance in the Championship section, securing shared 3rd place (14th overall by cumulative rating) and further establishing SPA's strong presence in the tournament.

These achievements were made possible through teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. Despite this being our first tournament, the players exceeded expectations, and we are excited to see their continued growth.

We are currently working on forming the SPA Chess Team with Jun and Elliott at the core. 

Our SPA School was one of the prestigious tournament venues for WEST LA until 2000s. We want to bring the spirit back and we need your support! We also hope to participate in an official rated tournament as a team in the near future.

If you want your child to join the team or participate in future tournaments, please get in touch with Paul (paul@icea1.org) or Karen Wood (karen.m.sze@gmail.com).

Congratulations, SAINTS!

SPA EASTER VACATION!

School will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 17, which is the beginning of our Easter vacation. PLEASE NOTE THAT AFTER-SCHOOL CARE WILL NOT BE PROVIDED THAT THURSDAY. ALL STUDENTS MUST BE PICKED UP PROMPTLY AT DISMISSAL TIME. Classes will resume Monday, April 28, as we gather together for our morning prayer assembly and announcements.

JUST SHARING–2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR!

As we continue our journey this school year, we are also in the midst of planning for the NEXT school year. We are presently working to finalize our 2025-2026 school calendar. Once we have finished this task, it must be approved by the Regional Superintendent before we can consider it “official.” In the meantime, please note the following dates that may help you as you plan your work schedules, childcare arrangements, and vacation travels. Please note that this only includes the first and last days of school, and the typical vacation/no school days. 

• August 25, 2025 – School begins
• September 1, 2025 – Labor Day/No school
• October 13, 2025 – Columbus Day/No school
• October 27, 2025 – Festival Clean-up/No school
• November 11, 2025 – Veterans Day/No school
• November 26 - 28, 2025 – Thanksgiving vacation
• December 22 - January 2, 2026 – Christmas vacation
• January 19, 2026 – Martin Luther King/No school
• February 16, 2026 – Presidents’ Day/No school
• February 20, 2026 – R.E. Congress/No school
• February 27, 2026 – Ski Weekend/No school
• April 3 – 10, 2026 – Easter vacation/No school
• May 15, 2026 – Campout/No school
• May 25, 2026 – Memorial Day/No school
• June 12, 2026 – Last day of school

REQUESTING PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!

Last week we received some concerning information regarding Ashley Murdock, one of our SPA parents. Ashley was very recently diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and she began chemotherapy this past Thursday. If you know Ashley, you know she is full of strength, grace, and an incredible fighting spirit—but she and her family will need us to rally around them now more than ever.

A CaringBridge page will be set up soon, where Ashley will share more details on her journey. In the meantime, if you’d like to support the Murdocks in a tangible way, please consider donating to their GoFundMe, which will help with the cost of a cold cap during chemo and provide meals and groceries for her family. With chemo, she is given a very specific diet, so there will not be a meal train at this time.

We also ask that everyone be mindful and sensitive when discussing Ashley’s diagnosis around her children. That being said, she is open to hearing from friends and receiving text messages. More than anything, let’s surround Ashley, Brian and their boys with love, prayers and support as she courageously takes on this fight. Let’s rally for Ashley!

SPA SPECIAL REQUESTS!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Do you still have a hard copy of the daily newspaper delivered to your home every day? If so, our esteemed SPA Musical Theatre troupe humbly requests your assistance! In preparation for their grand spectacle, "Newsies Jr.," the troupe seeks newspaper donations! Gather your old newspapers and deliver them to the KA or 1B classrooms. Donations will be gratefully received starting March 24th and will continue to be accepted until April 16th. Your generous contributions will be greatly appreciated! Join us in supporting the arts and ensuring a splendid performance!

SUMMER SCHOOL AT SPA!

Yes, we will once again be offering a FUN and FABULOUS summer programs at SPA! Summer School and Camp will begin on Monday, June 17, and will run for 4 weeks. There will be two programs: Summer School (morning program) and Camp (afternoon program). These programs are open to all DK – 8th grade students. Students will be placed with their grade level peers. Programs include Academic Enrichment, STEAM & Math Intensive, Counselor in Training, Sports Clinics, Musical Theatre, and LOTS of Summer Camp FUN! 

Summer School priority registration is still open for families signing up for the full 4 weeks. Sign-ups for families wanting only certain weeks will happen after priority registration is over. Please contact Ms. Kathryn Oliver at koliver@sp-apostle.org if you have any questions. 

SPA FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION

The portal for the 2025-2026 financial aid applications through FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment is now open. Families applying for assistance will need to complete an application and submit the necessary supporting documentation, including a statement outlining the need for financial aid by April 28, 2025.  

Begin the online application by clicking on the FACTS link from the PWC website or clicking here: https://online.factsmgt.com/signin/3CNJH. Once an online application has been completed, pertinent information will need to be sent to FACTS to complete the application process. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Mayora Hiney at mhiney@sp-apostle.org.

SISTER STELLA FOUNDATION

As the Sister Stella Foundation enters the final days of its annual fundraising drive, please consider making a donation of any size to support its mission. Every donation directly enriches every child’s educational experience at SPA and helps us provide innovative programs. What makes SPA truly special is our strong and vibrant community of families who consistently go above and beyond to support our students. Dedicated parents create the foundation of support that defines SPA. Your involvement, enthusiasm, and generosity have built a community where children thrive academically, socially, and spiritually. Click here to make a donation:

KHC IS COMING TO SPA SCHOOL!

Sign Up TODAY! Kids Heart Challenge starts soon, and we are proud to support the American Heart Association through this service-learning program. Students will learn how to have happy and healthy hearts and brains, while raising lifesaving donations to help others with special hearts. Plus, your family can learn the life-saving skill of Hands-Only CPR through Finn’s Mission! 

Sign Up TODAY at http://www2.heart.org/goto/StPaulTheApostleSchool or by downloading the FREE AHA Schools App for Apple or Android.

Meet heart survivor Finn and hear how completing Finn’s Mission gives hope to everyone, everywhere. Let’s save lives together! Thank you for being a Heart Hero!