SPN Weekly Newsletter #3

“How precious, O God,

is your constant love!

We find protection

under the shadow of your wings.

We feast on the abundant food

you provide;

you let us drink from

the river of your goodness.

You are the source of all life,

and because of your light

we see the light.”

Psalm 36, 7-9

[Note: When Monday is a holiday, the Weekly Newsletter goes out on Wednesday]

Principal's Message

September 8, 2021

Hello Saint Philip Neri Families,

The more I depend on God, the more I see His glory and His blessings. As we embark on this new school year together, remember that we seek God’s presence and guidance first in all we do so that we can be led by His holy grace. We continue to work diligently to stay safe and healthy, conducting our Daily Health Screenings so we can be fortunate enough to stay open for in-person instruction, and to protect one another. We plan future events thoughtfully to bring our community together safely. We support our students in their learning and growing, celebrating their achievements and collaborating with teachers, staff, and others to manage and overcome the challenges and obstacles they might face. Thank you for your partnership in education, and remember, God is good, all the time.

Warmly,

Julie Thomas

Principal

Updates/Information:

Dangerous situation: Please be careful and considerate when you park to drop off or pick up. DO NOT: park in crosswalks, park blocking neighbors' driveways, or double park. We want to keep all of our students and parents safe!
Picture Day will be this Friday, September 10th. Students wear their uniforms: white shirt with navy sweatshirt or sweater over it. Due to COVID safety protocols, parents are not allowed to attend this year's picture day.
School directory opt-out form: The SPN 2021-22 school directory is coming soon! The directory is meant for use within the school community and is not shared with outside parties or vendors. All parent names and emails are automatically included. Address and phone information is optional. If you DO NOT want your phone and/or address information included in the directory, please fill out this Directory Opt-Out form by Friday, September 10th. Did your address/phone number change? Please email Mrs. Schmitz (jschmitz@csdo.org) if any of your contact information has changed since you completed your students’ registration form.
Mark your calendar for this year's Fun Fair/Drive Thru Pasta Dinner! Saturday, September 25th at St. Philip Neri parish. See flyer below.
Volunteer opportunity: Earn volunteer hours AND lunch credits by serving as a Choice Lunch server/substitute. Read here for more information.
SPN Volunteer requirements: Please read here for what you need to complete in order to be ready to volunteer at SPN.

SPN Annual Auction - In the works!

Hello Spartans,

It’s that time of year again to start the planning of our annual auction, taking place on Saturday, March 26TH. For those new to the school, Saint Philip Neri’s Annual Auction is an event where we celebrate with the SPN community and raise funds to support the school and its programs. This event is always exciting and a blast to attend, and it wouldn’t be possible without the parent volunteers that make it happen year after year! As we are all looking for parent volunteer hours before the end of the school year, the auction is a great way to ensure you hit your goal. We are looking for all types of volunteers with different types of commitments, from the beginning planning phase to set-up and clean-up for the event. Below are some of the different volunteer categories we are looking for.

· Décor

· Donation outreach

· Sponsorships

· Set-up/Clean-up

· Auction support

· Digital Marketing

· Leadership

· Communications

These are just a few of the opportunities available. If you like to host parties or enjoy doing any of the above, this is the spot for you! If you are interested, please reach out to either of the event chairs, Allison Grant (2^nd and 6^th grade parent, allisongrant21@yahoo.com) , Bryan Thomas (2^nd grade parent, brianthomas22@hotmail.com) or Gina Foster, our school liaison (gfoster@csdo.org). We welcome anyone passionate about making our SPN community stronger. Please fill out this form if you are interested in serving on any of the committees or taking a leadership position!

School Happenings

The SPN Book Club for grades 4-8 will start on Tuesday, September 14. Led by sixth-grade student, Ronan Sturlini,

the club will meet every Tuesday from 3:20-4pm in the Library. Teacher support will be provided by Ms. Kristen. Please reach out to her with any questions at ksmeal@csdo.org

Preschoolers learning in the SPN garden!

For more SPN Garden news and photographs, visit the Garden Science Blog and Instagram!

M.U.S.E. Band Information Meetings for New Parents:

Our after school music program, M.U.S.E., will host three separate online information meetings to choose from for new parents who would like to hear about the program and ask questions. Choose one session from the following 3 available times using the same zoom link:

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 727 609 2890

Passcode: Trumpet

Saturday, Sept. 11 at 11:30am

Wednesday, Sept. 15th at 7:30pm

Thursday, Sept. 16th at 7:30pm

Counselor's Corner

Dear Families:

Welcome! It has been a year and a half full of uncertainty, challenges, different emotions, positive and negative, and hopefully moments of joy and happiness. I have missed the students, faculty and staff, and am thrilled to be back on campus, filled with energy and joy. It has been a challenging year for myself and my family, with two young children distance learning, working, and trying to create a sense of safety, normalcy and peace in a not-so-normal and stressful time. We made it through.

For those who may not know, I am SP's licensed mental health therapist who is on campus four days a week to support our students. I see students for a variety of reasons - anxiety and stress, happenings in their personal lives (home, family...) social/emotional challenges, and a vast array of other issues. My goal is to provide the students with a safe, supportive and confidential space to talk and develop tools to manage their concerns.

If you feel your child is experiencing overwhelming emotions please don't hesitate to contact me, I am happy to discuss with you how I may be able to help. Referrals for students may be made from parents, teachers, as well as self-referral from the students themselves. I am out and about on campus connecting with the students, and many know "Ms. Gwire" and know they can receive positive and supportive help.

Feel free to contact me via email at ngwire@csdo.org, or my direct line 510-373-5213. I look forward to meeting new students, catching up with old students, and reconnecting with our wonderful SPN community.

Warm regards,

Nicole Gwire Garbayo

Community Happenings

Come Join Troop 78, SPN's Cub Scout Troop!

All are welcome to join St. Philip Neri's Cub Scout Troop. We are open to all children (both boys and girls) through fifth grade. We organize fun, outdoor-oriented activities which encourage positive interactions with other children. Please join us for our next Troop meeting this Wednesday night (tonight). We ask that families wear masks at our meetings.

When: Wednesday (9/8) from 6:30-7:30p.m.

Where: Playground at Jean Sweeney Open Space Park -- 1925 Sherman St. Alameda, CA 94501