SPN Weekly Newsletter #24

February 23, 2022

Principal's Message

Dear SPN Families,

Did you hear that Catholic schools in the Bay Area have had a significant increase in enrollment after years of decline? [Read about rising Catholic School enrollment here] Largely due to Catholic schools’ responses to COVID 19, many families recognized our intent to do what was best for students. The flexibility and small size of our schools enable us to respond to our communities and our students in a way that is not feasible in public schools.

For most families, education is a priority that they are willing to make sacrifices for as an investment in their child’s future. Certainly our families in Catholic schools know the financial sacrifice as well as the benefits of this investment. As we prepare to set tuition costs and the budget for next year, we know that tuition alone will not cover the cost to educate our students. Our fundraising efforts are few, but vitally important to making up this difference.

The annual Auction (formerly known as the Crab Feed) is our signature fundraiser. We invite you to support this event with your presence (it’s free!), your participation (bid and encourage), and your enthusiasm! Plan to get together with friends to view the Virtual Auction together, and bid on some of the beautiful artwork or the getaway packages. It’s a win-win; have a lot of fun and support the school at the same time.

A hearty thanks goes out to our wonderful Auction committee – Gina Foster, Bryan Thomas, Alison Grant, Raven Halderman, Michelle Hall, Sarah Pastran, Gina Schaffer and Sharyn Bires – who work all year long to plan an enjoyable event that benefits our school and sports programs. The Art Docents and art volunteers who are responsible for the gorgeous class projects that will be featured this year deserve special recognition and thanks as well. The online Auction opens today, so don’t wait, start bidding on some wonderful artwork, luxurious vacations, and other fabulous items! Let’s go, SPARTANS!

Warmly,

Julie Thomas

Interim Principal

Updates and Information

COVID Update: We have had 1 school case since February 15. We ask that you continue to follow the Daily Health Screening DHS and contact the office to report symptoms and/or exposure outside of school.
Virtual Auction this Saturday Night! 5:30p.m. Dance party kick-off! See next section for details.
Intent to Return for 2022-23 School Year due today!: If you haven't already, please complete and submit this Intent to Return form (1 per family) by today, Wednesday, February 23rd. Preschool and TK responses are optional since we solicited responses for those students in January.
SLC Spirit Day this Friday, February 25th: Each class is choosing a class theme so ask your student what their class chose!
Sunday, February 27, 9:00 a.m. Family Mass: All are welcome!
Tuesday, March 1, Burning of the Palms and Fat Tuesday: Celebrate at Morning Assembly by adding purple, gold and green accessories to your uniform!
Record your SPN volunteer hours: SPN Volunteer Hours Form. Need your total? Just contact our friendly office staff to inquire.

SPN Virtual Annual Auction - this Saturday, February 26th!

Online auction opens today!

View this Showcase of Live Auction Items

SPN Science Fair

During Catholic Schools Week, SPN held our annual middle school science fair. Winners were announced during assembly, but we wanted to take time to recognize school and Diocesan awardees in the newsletter as well. O'Brien Hall will be open this Friday, February 25th from 3pm - 4pm for viewing.

SPN Science Fair Winners

6th Grade

1st Place - Kurt Liu - How does launch angle affect 3 point shooting?

2nd Place - Kaleb Condez - Effectiveness of Hand Sanitizers

3rd Place - Ava Bright - Investigating Hand Sanitizers and Dry Skin

4th Place - Kayla Luong - Effectiveness of Moisturizers

5th Place - Conrad Spaudie - How does temperature affect the growth of mung beans?

6th Place - Ronan Sturlini - How do different surfaces affect bounce height?

7th Grade

1st Place - Tej Panchal - Structural Engineering and Earthquakes

2nd Place - Annabelle Holmes and Kiana Jennings - How does flame color affect heat?

3rd Place - Hannah Niu - Ocean Chemistry and Dissolving Shells

4th Place - Dahlia Anderson - Inheritance of Traits

5th Place - Declan McGinty - Springs as an Earthquake Solution

6th Place - Giana Henneman & Brandon De Leon - Investigating Plant Growth

8th Grade

1st Place - Blair Lancaster - Doppler Effect

2nd Place - Tiburon Horvath & Mihir Manghani - Extracting Fats from Foods

3rd Place - Kylee Lau and Katie Luong - Revolutionizing Women's Health

4th Place - Zora Oliverius - Flower Chromatography

5th Place - Sean Cook - Testing Nerf Dart Modifications

6th Place - Ben Hillenbrand - How does pH affect voltage?

The top 3 projects in 7th and 8th grade went on to the Diocese of Oakland Kristina Taylor Science Fair at SJND. Their results were:

7th Grade

Hannah Niu - Grand Finalist - 2nd Place - Environmental Sciences

Tej Panchal - 2nd Place - Technology, Engineering, and Mathematical Sciences

Annabelle Holmes & Kiana Jennings - 2nd Place - Physical Sciences

8th Grade

Blair Lancaster - 3rd Place -Technology, Engineering, and Mathematical Sciences

Tiburon Horvath and Mihir Manghani - 3rd Place - Biological Sciences

Kylee Lau & Katie Luong - 3rd Place - Physical Sciences

Congratulations Spartan Scientists!

School Happenings

4th graders lovin' their Valentine's Day project.

Share and Care impromptu writing club pops up in the garden!

More after school fun.

Summer Camp at SPN - KidzToPros

Save $100 on Summer Camp at SPN this summer!

Starting February 1, the early registration discount for SPN families is $100 using code FLY100. Use this link to register.

Community Happenings

Opportunity to walk and talk with doctors

SPN TK parent, Dr. Jameze James, is helping to lead a new new community program called Walk with A doc, offered free by Kaiser Permanente for anyone interested. Walks start at Crown Memorial Beach in Alameda, and happen once a month through June. Walk with a Doc is a walking program for everyone interested in taking steps for a healthier lifestyle. You’ll take a few minutes to learn about a current health topic from a healthcare provider, then spend the rest of the hour enjoying a healthy walk and fun conversation. Click here to learn more!

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Middle School Program

Browse our full offering and get ready to register your child online starting March 1.

High School Prep

Our Summer Academy High School Prep program is open to all rising 9th graders - not just O'Dowd students!Select from math, writing, drama and public speaking classes to create an individualized summer camp program tailored to the needs of your child.

Registration opens online March 1.