March 7, 2023



Hope to see you this Saturday!

Dear SPN Families,

This Saturday evening we will gather together (in-person!) for our major fundraiser of the school year, our SPN Annual Auction! Our Auction organizers are busy preparing a special evening for our community to celebrate our school and enjoy one another’s company while raising funds for our operating budget and keeping tuition costs low. 

You should have received your online personalized Auction link yesterday at 4 p.m. Here is another link that you can share with your family and friends if they might be interested in supporting our school: https://spna2023.ggo.bid/. Please use your personalized link sent yesterday rather than create another account – thank you!

The Digital Auction Program as well as the Art Preview video, prepared by our Broadcasting students, will be sent to you on Thursday. I have enjoyed housing the class artwork in my office for the past month, it’s all superb!

Many people deserve our gratitude and appreciation for the work they have done to make the Auction an enjoyable evening. Monica Burneikis and Zane Howard, Auction Co-Chairs, and their team of volunteers, along with Gina Foster, event coordinator, have planned a beautiful evening with dramatic decorations, exquisite student artwork and other enticing items to purchase, delicious food, and dancing.

And finally, thank YOU for contributing to, volunteering for, attending and supporting the Spartan Masquerade Auction. We look forward to celebrating SPN with all of you on Saturday!

Blessings,

Ms. Thomas

Focus on LOVE: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

• Noon Dismissal Tomorrow: Tomorrow is a noon dismissal. Share & Care will be open.
• Personnel Update: We have hired a new School Secretary! Mrs. Peto will start training with Mrs. Schmitz on Monday, March 13th. She is highly qualified and considers this a “dream job.” Please offer her a warm Spartan welcome when you meet her!
• Sports Photos, Wednesday, March 15th: Sports photos will be taken during the school day on Wednesday, March 15th. Student athletes may wear their SPN sports uniforms to school that day. The school calendar has been updated with the date change. (Formerly scheduled for March 31st).
• First Day of School for 2023-24: The first day of the 2023-24 school year will be Monday, August 21st. A school calendar for next school year will be provided with your registration materials going out on March 30th.
• Volunteering at SPN: Interested in volunteering? Need to log your hours? Here's what you'll need for the 2022-23 school year. View the SPN Volunteer Requirements here. After volunteering, log your hours using the Volunteer Hours Log Sheet. Thanks for your time!
• Choice Lunch Volunteers Needed: Work a lunch shift and earn a free lunch for your student! 11:30a.m. - 12:30p.m. M-F slots available. See sign up sheet here and contact parent Janelle Sheets (jtpaws@hotmail.com) for details.
• Looking for a past newsletter? Check out our Newsletter Archives on our website.
• COVID Update: We have had 0 new Covid cases since Tuesday, February 28, 2023.

It's that time of year! Time to let the world know about how well St. Philip Neri Catholic School does its job! The following three publications post winners each year in their Best Of competition. Please take a moment to vote for SPN in all three! SPN qualifies for three categories in each competition (see below). Feel free to forward to family and friends!

SPN Voting Categories:

• "Early Education", Faith-based Preschool
• "Schools-Elementary", Faith-based Elementary
• "Schools-Middle", Faith-based Middle

Vote here

SPN is listed under "KIDS"

• Best Preschool
• Best Private Elementary School
• Best Private Middle School

Vote here

SPN is listed under "KIDS"

• Best Preschool
• Best Private Elementary School
• Best Private Middle School

Vote here

Last Saturday, SPN Middle Schoolers participated in the National Catholic Academic Junior High Decathlon. Students participated in two team events, a logic test and super quiz, and eight individual subject test. These students have been preparing for the last couple months as part of the Decathlon Team elective led by Mr. Toner. Our team members represented SPN very well! We were particularly excited to learn one of our 6th graders, Gertie, placed in the top 3 of our league in her individual subject test (social studies)! We plan to celebrate all participants during assembly in the coming weeks once we receive all results and awards. Team members: Gertie, Kaleb, Ronan, Conrad, Harper, Chiara, Erik and Vincent (not pictured below).

SPN 6th and 7th graders attended the Sponge Bob Musical at the Malonga Casquelourd Center in Oakland last week.

Preschool students are studying pond life in the month of March. They had a chance to join Ms. Kristen in the Makerspace to look at pond water, tap water, and rainwater under a microscope and draw what they saw.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP DATES

Session 1

June 12 - June 23

Session 2

June 26 - July 7

O’Dowd’s Summer Academy is designed to offer fun enrichment and inspiring advancement opportunities for middle school and high school students throughout the Bay Area. Summer Academy students can choose from courses to inspire their curiosity, like gardening in the Living Lab, 3-D printing & CAD, or creative writing, to courses that challenge them academically, from algebra and geometry prep to debate. O’Dowd’s Summer Academy also offers athletic opportunities, including basketball, football, running and conditioning, and more.

March 2023

Mar 8 - Noon dismissal, Share & Care open

Mar 10 - End of Trimester 2

Mar 11 - SPN Auction - Spartan Masquerade

Mar 14 - First Reconciliation

Mar 14 - Free dress for March Bdays

Mar 15 - Sports Photo day

Mar 17 - Report Card day, Green free dress (St. Patrick's Day)

Mar 17 - Noon dismissal, Share & Care Open

March 31 - Noon dismissal

Have you joined SPN on social media? 

We would love to have you as a part of our social media community.

It only takes a few seconds to join.

Check us out on Instagram at “spnalameda”.