Bishop Hurley

Thank you to all of you who were able to join us at Mass today. Bishop Hurley seems to have a special place in his heart for our Parish and School. He was able to visit each of the classrooms and also spent a good amount of time meeting with me. He had nothing but great things to say about our community, Parish and direction of our School. We appreciate his time and certainly look forward to another visit in the near future.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the gift basket. He made it very clear that he enjoys the jelly ;) Sorry Mr. Brooks.

A Message from Ellie Kane

Thank you to all who helped decorate lunch bags for Gods Kitchen home bound.  They are decorated beautifully and with such love!  Your enthusiasm will surely bring joy to many folks this Holy Christmas season.  May the Peace and Joy of Baby Jesus be with all of you.  Sincerely, St. Patrick Challenge Girls
and also...
Thank you very much for your generous support of my candle fund raising for World Youth Day 2011.  I really appreciate your kind words and enthusiasm in helping me achieve this goal!  I hope you enjoy many hours of pleasant aroma from the candles you purchased.  If you need a small gift for a special person you would like to show your appreciation for, I am offering a special of 4 votive candles for $5 or 4 votive candles with a votive cup for $6.  Just send me an email to Raisenkanes@aol.com and I will deliver them to school before Christmas break.  Gift wrapping is free!  Thank you for your love and support, Samantha Kane

Thank you Scott for all your help on these two projects.  We really do appreciate the kindness you have shown Samantha and the Challenge Girls.  We very much appreciate the job you do as principal of St. Patricks.  We hope you are enjoying it as well!  God bless you and the work you do for HIM!
Many blessings,
Ellie Kane

Comments from Saturday's Basketball Game

Thank you to everyone who came out Saturday to our facility to support our St. Pat's basketball teams. I was there for the first few hours of the day and had the privilege to watch our middle school girls play against All Saints Academy. We fell short, but our girls definitely put up a fight! Scrappy and feisty is the way I would describe it. Apparently, we are not called the Fightin' Irish for nothing!

 I can't wait to see them play again! Come on out and support our sports teams whenever you can.

An Eighth Grader with a Goal

Hello,

My name is Samantha Kane and I am an eighth grade student at St. Patrick School. I have been given the amazing opportunity to be able to go to World Youth Day 2011. The flight and package to go are expensive though. I believe if God wants me there, I’ll be there, but I need to work towards that goal! I would appreciate it greatly if you helped me towards my goal and purchased some of the votives that have been graciously donated to me by the now out of business Sister Scents.

Each votive is hand poured and tediously fire-tested for proper flame beauty, long burn times and full fragrance that will last until the final flicker.  Each votive will burn up to 20 hours in a proper fitting holder!

Suggested Donation:

$1.50/each or $16.00/doz.

     Scents include:

    Baked Apple Pie
Banana Nut Bread
Boughs of Holly
Cherry
Chocolate
Clementine
Eucalyptus
Gardenia
Hollyberry
Kiwi
Lavendar
Lime
Magnolia
Merlot
Mulberry
Peppermint
Plum
Pumpkin Spice
Sage & Citrus
Sunflower
Tranquility
Vanilla
Verbena

A Visit from the Superintendent

Mr. David Faber, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, will be visiting our school on Tuesday.  Mr. Faber is working very hard to ensure a bright future for all of our Catholic Schools in the Grand Rapids Diocese. He has an extremely large and important job and we feel fortunate that he is taking time out of his busy schedule to visit St. Patrick School. Mr. Faber has been very supportive of what we are doing at our school and I feel confident that under his leadership we will all see improvements made across the Diocese.

Faith magazine will send a photographer with him to take pictures while I am giving him a tour around our campus. Be sure to check out next months addition to see St. Pat's represented in the photos.

Support St. Patrick Dancers!

The Nutcracker Ballet

You're invited to West Michigan Youth Ballet's Nutcracker! The show is absolutely beautiful -- it's eye candy.

St Patrick students Rachael Fotis and Mary Camp and parishioners Nicole Mooney and Beth Gomez have been rehearsing since August.

Saturday, December 11
1:00 and 4:30 pm Shows
Sunday, December 12 at 1:00 pm

Forest Hills Fine Arts Center
600 Forest Hills Avenue SE
Grand Rapids, MI

Tickets
$12 Adults
$6 Children

They've sold three times as many tickets to date compared to last year so they may sell out. Purchase tickets at Forest Hills Fine Arts Center, at Ada Dance, or online www.WMYB.org

Tickets are available for THE NUTCRACKER TEA on Saturday, December 11th at 11:30 a.m. at the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center.  Come get your picture taken with Clara, The Snow Queen and The Prince!   Enjoy a light lunch with crafts and a gift to bring home!  

Tickets are only $12.00 per person and are limited.  Tickets can be purchased online.

Hope you can come and enjoy the show!

Amy Fotis

Winter Weather

Parents,

We were blessed with a warm October and November but it is clear that the winter weather has arrived. I request that all students wear proper winter attire to be able to participate in outdoor recess. This includes:

• Hat
• gloves
• Jacket
• Snow pants and boots are required for sledding

I appreciate your help in ensuring that our students stay healthy during the winter months.

Thank you,

Scott Czarnopys

Reading is Fun!!!

Students at St. Patrick School will tell anyone who is listening that READING is extra fun when Accelerated Reader provides points and rewards.  Students read books that interest them and take an online quiz to test their comprehension.  They are then awarded points based on the length and difficulty of the book as well as their performance on the quiz.  Students are required to earn a specific number of points each quarter depending on their grade level.  An apple with the student’s name appears in the hallway as goals are met, and prizes are awarded each quarter based on the reader with the highest points.  We all know reading is fun, but READING is extra fun with AR!!

Message from our Athletic Director - Scott Spanbauer

BASKETBALL SEASON IS UNDERWAY (or something close...I'm not that clever)

The boys and girls basketball season gets underway this Saturday, December 4th with a full slate of games scheduled right here at St. Patrick's School Gymnasium.  The girls 5th/6th grade team will be taking on IHM at 9:00 AM and the 7th/8th grade girls will start their season at 12:30 taking on OLC.  Please come and support our very own right here at St Pat's on Saturday.

Their next games will again be at HOME with the Fightin' Irish taking on All Saints and Corpus Christi on Saturday, December 11th.  Game times for the 7th/8th grade girls against All Saints is  9:00 AM and the 5th/6th grade girls against Corpus Christi at 1:40.

Rich Wade has volunteered to coach the 5th/6th grade girls this year and Gillian Hurley  is coaching the 7th/8th grade girls team.  Gillian coached the the same girls last year at the 5th/6th grade level.  All our coaches are volunteers and they spend an incredible amount of time and energy with our student athletes. THANK YOU!

Weston Hurley is playing 8th grade boys basketball with St. Stephens and they are playing Saturday, Dec 4th at Holy Trinity at 11:20 and Saturday Dec 11th at Assumption at 12:30.  We wish Weston the best of luck this weekend and next.  If you happen to be in the area I am sure he would appreciate your support as well!

Good luck to all on a safe, fun and successful season!

Interested in Lacrosse?

GRACEAC

Lacrosse

Parent Informational Meeting

If your child (boy or girl) in grades 5 thru 8 is interested in playing Lacrosse as a GRACEAC sport this spring you must attend this informational meeting.  You will learn the nature of the proposed program and the costs involved.

A significant purpose of the meeting is to determine how much interest in playing Lacrosse exists for boys and girls in fifth thru eighth grade in our Catholic elementary schools. If your child is interested in playing this great sport you must attend this meeting.

Date:  Monday, December 6, 2010

Time: 7:00 PM to 7:45 PM

Where: Cathedral Square      Room B/C

             360 Division Ave

             Grand Rapids, MI 49503-4501

Contact Bob Wolf with any questions about the meeting.

            (616) 560-2438   or     sportwolf@msn.com

Basketball Season Begins!

Basketball season has arrived.

Good luck to all of our basketball players here at St. Pat's. Both girls basketball teams begin season play this Saturday! Come support the girls whenever you get a chance.

We are in need of volunteers to work concessions and to collect admissions at the gate. Send me an email if you are interested at scottczarnopys@gmail.com


Go St. Pat's!!!

Opportunity at Saint Thomas School

Calling All Parents, Teachers, Coaches and All Those Who Work With Children

Bullying is a huge topic in the media lately.

While some adults trivialize the problem saying that "kids will be kids,"

bullying is unacceptable.

You are invited to an

Anti-Bullying Initiative Workshop

Presented by Dr. Michele Coyne

―Peaceful People—Peaceful Place‖

* Free Childcare will be Provided

Dr. Coyne received a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University in 2005. Dr. Coyne’s dissertation examined the nature and extent of bullying among students and used action research to provide strategies for the reduction and prevention of bullying.

Dr. Coyne was a teacher for 25 years and a building principal for 10 years. Her anti-bully program provided the foundation for positive school climate, relationship building, and increased academic

achievement.

Copies of the booklet,

"Bully-Proofing Your Child: First Aid for Hurt Feelings," will be available for purchase.

Questions? Contact Jeanne Walch at 458-4228 ext. 337

November 29, 2010

6:15-7:30 p.m.

Saint Thomas the Apostle Church Basement

1449 Wilcox Park Drive SE

Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Hospitality from 6:15 – 6:30 p.m.

Presentation from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

A Message from St. Pat's Leadership Council

Thank you for your generous donations to the "The Gift of Warmth this Winter" Coat Drive.  At this time, St. Patrick's has received 65 coats which Curtis Cleaners will be distributing to children and veterans in need.  We appreciate all of the wonderful donations.  We would like to extend a special thank you to the Fotis family who donated 40 new coats to the drive.  Even though we surpassed our goal of 50 coats, we're still not done.  The coat drive will continue until December 1st.  There is still plenty of time to help us give the gift of warmth this winter.  

Hi, I'm Bridget Lally.  Hey, I'm Elizabeth Pniewski.  As members of Student Leadership, we are in charge of  all community projects for this school year.  When we volunteered to be the committee heads, we never thought we'd be folding coats, but there we were, folding 65 new and used coats into boxes, and then doing our best to tape the boxes closed.  We thank everyone who donated and we hope that we will have the chance to fold even more before December 1.

Drivers Needed

Hi St. Patrick Families -

GOOD NEWS! -
Our community has been very generous with pie orders for GOD'S KITCHEN - we have 250 PIES to donate.

THE CHALLENGE -
We need to deliver them to God's Kitchen on Monday, November 22nd.

Is anyone able to help with this?
We need 4-6 drivers to take this many pies.  We can only stack pie boxes 3 deep for transport, which allows us to take approx. 40-60 per vehicle.

Please let us know if you are able to help.  We'll load vehicles in the morning after student drop-off and then caravan to Grand Rapids.

Thank you!
Your PTO Board  (Darcy Snarski, Penny Spanbauer, Maryalene LaPonsie, Carol Blundy)

More Service by St. Pat's

Last year, the Student Council at St. Patrick's teamed up with the youth group at St. Mary's to collect teddy bears for Haiti.  Curtis Cleaners generously offered to clean the bears we collected.  At the end of the drive, we had collected (and Curtis Cleaners had cleaned) almost 2,000 bears!!! 
To show our appreciation to Curtis Cleaners, Student Leadership wants to help them with their coat drive.  Curtis Cleaners will be collecting coats through December 1.  The coats will be cleaned and given to children and veterans.  We are proud to be part of their efforts.  We are calling our drive "The Gift of Warmth this Winter."  Here's a perfect opportunity for you to clean out your closets and bring in coats that you've outgrown or no longer use.  All sizes are appreciated.  St. Patrick's has three drop boxes for the coats.  We are hoping to "warm" at least fifty people's winter.  So if your coat closet is calling, I know mine is, let's meet by one of the drop boxes at the entrances to the school. We can make a difference.

Join Us for an Intergenerational Event

Advent - Waiting for Jesus Christ

A meal, a presentation, a prayer service and a variety of family activity centers for adults and children of all ages.

Father Mark and I would like to encourage school families to join the Intergenerational Event on Sunday, November 21 from 5-7pm in the Parish Center.

• Bring your loved ones and join your parish family for activities centered on Advent as a season of repentance, preparation and joy.
• Help your family learn more about this beautiful first season of the Church year.
• Meet your fellow parishioners in a fun, prayerful and interactive setting.

Please contact us if you are planning to attend, providing us with the number of people in your group.

Phone: 691-8541 ext. 38
E-mail: aekohn@wmis.net
Please RSVP by: Thursday, November 18th

Service Projects

With the help of our student leadership, St. Patrick’s will be participating in two special service projects in November.  For the first project, “Operation Christmas Child,” we are collecting gift items that fit into a shoe box.  These shoe boxes are sent to children all over the world who otherwise would not have the chance to celebrate Christmas.  Please see the Shamrock for suggested gift items.  The collection will continue through Friday, November 19.

The second project, “The Gift of Warmth this Winter,” is a chance for St. Patrick’s to partner with Curtis Cleaners in collecting coats to benefit children and veterans.  Check your closets for coats that you’ve outgrown or no longer need.  All sizes are appreciated.  The coat drive will continue through December 1. 

We also hope that you will join us in praying for those who will benefit from these two causes. 

A Touching Moment

Today was another example of a heartfelt, touching moment for Arley and I. The people of St. Patrick have accepted us with open arms and we are sincerely moved by the type of community that exists here. We were surprised by students, parents and staff members - the COMMUNITY - with a "reception" to celebrate our recent wedding. The strength of this community is instilled in all of you. From my family to yours, a sincere thank you. We look forward to a bright future and to be part of the greater St. Patrick family that exists here.

Living Saints

From 9:50 until 11:15 on Friday, the 5/6 graders will be performing their interpretation of the Living Saints' Museum. After selecting a saint, each student researched the life of the saint and wrote a brief biography which they memorized. Now they have their costumes and props and are excitedly anticipating the Living Saints' Museum. The "saints" will also be present after this Sunday's Masses at the K of C Breakfast.

Reflections

As I take a break from getting ready for my upcoming wedding today, I have been reflecting on how this school year has been going thus far. Here are a couple observations:

• The students of St. Patrick are wonderful in so many aspects. We are fortunate to have such well behaved, kind and warm hearted children in our school. Every day the students greet with my a smile and a handshake and I continue to learn more about each one of them. My educational experiences leading to St. Patrick's has provided me with the opportunity to be in many schools, both public and Catholic. It is my firm belief that our school has the most family and community oriented culture than all the others. 
• The actions of our students are a reflection of the parents and the community of St. Pat's. That being said.... keep up the good work. Parental involvement is the number one factor influencing student success. I want to continue to encourage all of you to be visible in our school whether it's reading a book to the kids, chaperoning a field trip, helping in the lunchroom or even just coming in to give Ed a hard time... I definitely encourage that!
• Our committees - the committees work endless hours to provide additional opportunities for our students. They continue to be extremely generous with their time and expertise. We are a small school and because of this we have parents taking roles on multiple committees ALONG with going above and beyond their volunteer requirements. I encourage all of you to consider joining us.... just contact me or the Education Commission to learn more about it.
• Our staff has come together as a very productive team that shares the same vision of moving forward and doing what is best for the kids. We will continue to work together to provide the best educational opportunities that St. Patrick School can provide.

These are only a few observations out of many.  This is an exciting time as our school continues to move in a positive direction. We need the support of all of you. When things are going good - tell us. When concerns arise and need to be addressed - tell us. The St. Patrick community working together as one team will be the driving force in the continual progression and improvement of our school.

Who ultimately benefits when we work together? The kids benefit and that's the way it should be.

A note from the new Leadership Council President

Hi, my name is Paige Brown, I am the recently elected leadership council president at St. Patrick School.  Before I get into why I ran for President, you should know a little about me.  I am 13 years old and in the 8th grade.  I practice dancing twice a week for competitions in the spring.  I have 4 animals (3 cats, and a little brother). OK! Now that's out of the way, this is why I ran for leadership council president.  It's my last year at St. Patrick School and I want to show my appreciation to the school and staff.  I want to be a role model for my younger brother, and I need a position of authority to keep me afloat, (so I can tell people what to do without getting in trouble for it).  Well my campaign must have worked, because I was elected President, and I am very proud of it.

Friday Rosary

Every Friday the students and teachers gather in the church at 2:25 to join in worship as they pray the rosary together.


We want to extend the invite to all family members and friends to join our St. Patrick family community during these meaningful times.


We hope to see more of you join us soon!

Saint Patrick School has moved to G-MAIL

To better serve you, our staff has switched over to common email addresses. Please use the addresses below for all future communications:

scottczarnopys@gmail.com - Scott Czarnopys - Principal
sps.secretary@gmail.com - Sally and Julie - secretaries
sps.mediaspecialist@gmail.com - Deb Russo - Computers/Library
sps.preschool@gmail.com - Heather Burke - preschool
sps.kgy5@gmail.com - Carole Walsh - Kindergarten/Young 5's
sps.onetwo@gmail.com - Connie Leckenby - First/Second
sps.threefour@gmail.com - Kathleen Schoenborn - Third/Fourth
sps.fivesix@gmail.com - Barb Vezino - Fifth/Sixth
sps.seveneight@gmail.com - Nikki Kevic - Seventh/Eighth

St. Patrick Video

On Monday, October 11, 2010 St. Patrick School will take part in a production of a new video that will be developed by Maura and Jason Lamoreaux. They are generously offering their time, creativity and expertise to create a visual that represents the culture of St. Patrick School.  We are very fortunate that they have offered their services to help shed light on the positive faith-based and family oriented community that we share here. It is our intention to have the video on our website to function as a tool that aids in illustrating the culture of our school. Students will be filmed throughout the day and we ask that you consider your child being a part of this video.

Blessing of the Pets

Please join St. Patrick School students and staff on Wednesday October 6th at 2:40pm on the soccer field with your pets.

Father Mark will be leading a special blessing of the pets and we encourage all of you to attend.

We ask that you all meet us on the soccer field by 2:35. We will dismiss directly from the soccer field. Please make sure to check with your child's teacher before leaving so that we are aware that they are in good hands.

I look forward to seeing all of you.... and your pets!!!

Rummage Sale

The Saint Patrick rummage sale was a success over this weekend! We thank everyone for their generous donations, particularly the generous donation of time and hard work from our volunteers. Our volunteers spent many hours collecting and sorting over the past month and put in plenty of extra time to make sure that the operation ran smoothly. We are extremely fortunate to have so many dedicated people in our community that help make our school a better place. Thank you to all of you for all that you do!!!

A BIG SAINT PATRICK THANK YOU!!!

We have been blessed over the past two months to have Bill Doyle and Jim Stratton provide us with much needed help in our tech department. These two gentleman have been extremely generous with their time and expertise to help our school function better. We are very fortunate to have people that care and believe so much in Catholic Education.

A big THANK YOU Bill and Jim from all your friends and family here at St. Patrick School!!!

Monday

Just a reminder to pick up your subs tomorrow at the school cafeteria between 3pm - 6pm

Schwan's will once again be at Yard Sale this year from 8am-5pm on Saturday.You may pre-order items to ensure they are available or purchase any items he has available on the truck.
You may also purchase gift certificates for friends/family out of town by calling the number on the form emailed to you.

St Patrick's School makes a percentage of our sales.

Saint Patrick's Book Fair

Mrs. Russo has taken some time to make a site for the Saint Patrick's Book fair. Check out the link and find some books for your child(ren) or make a donation to our library.

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/stpatrickparnell

Important Updates

As you know, several events are held each year to raise funds for the general operating budget.  Families sign up with their registrations to assist in these efforts.  Funds raised last school year totaled $25,000+  and that is again the plan this year.  This fundraising helps keep tuition rates stable and does much to promote our school in the community.

Fr. Mark is going to run in the River Bank Run in May and the school will again be the beneficiary of the donated funds!   A big thanks in advance to Fr. Mark, to all those who run, and to all those who donate funds for them.  It was a great success last year and a big help to the school budget.

Since we have this opportunity, the Education Commission voted to replace the Barrel Raffle with the Run.  As a result, those families who had signed up to help with the Raffle are now being contacted to switch to a different fundraiser.  We hope you can be flexible and help with Yard Sale, Christmas through Lowell or Dinner in the Green; PTO also needs more helpers for Pie Sale day.

And if there is anybody interested in golf, let me know, because we are looking at sponsoring a golf outing this next June, to kick off the summer...send me an email.  If we are going to raise money, let's have some fun doing it!

A bit more from Tuesday

The Playgroup is up and running for kids and their parent (or caregiver), every Thursday, 10-11:15, in the Preschool room at the Parish Center.  Drop in with your child(ren) aged infant to Kindergarten for playtime, snacks and an occasional craft.  And you get some time with other moms while the kids play.  Spread the word to parents with young kids - a great break in the daytime and free!

Yard sale is fast approaching and items are arriving daily....but we need more!  Please gather up your stuff - books, media, clothing, kitchen stuff, yard and garage items, furniture, toys, baby equipment - we'll take it!  Need pick up?  Call the school to make arrangements.  Please spread the word to friends and family.  We appreciate all donations very much. 

Thanks for all the sub orders -  the PTO Board reports that fall sub  sales are double the spring sales for subs!  Profits go toward all the projects and items PTO funds each year - classroom teacher supplies, media center needs, hospitality, Teacher Appreciation Week, school marketing, Catholic Schools Week activities, playground care and much more.  Thank you for your great support...and enjoy those soups and subs.

St. Patrick Playgroup

Come and join the FUN! Parents with their young children are welcome to gather for stories, games, crafts and a snack on Thursdays from 10-11:15 a.m. in the preschool room.

Any questions please call:

Jennifer Post - 897-0251

Sally Goffer  - 863-4952

Week Ending

All of the pink among the students was an amazing sight. I am very pleased that everyone took to supporting our community.

Another great week in the books for everyone involved here at school! I hope that everyone has a safe and fun weekend and I look forward to seeing you all bright and early on Monday morning!

Email Issue

There has been an issue with the principal@wmis.net email account over the past several days. If anyone has sent me an email to this account recently, I have not received it.

Please contact me at scottczarnopys@gmail.com until the issue is resolved. Please spread the word as much as possible.

Remember that Friday is a jeans day for whoever wears pink to help support the Pink Arrow Game at Lowell.  I have my shirt and I'll definitely be sporting it tomorrow!!

Keep on turning in those sub and magazine orders!!

Let's Fix It!

Let's work together and try to clean up the drop off/pick up procedures so that we have a safer and more efficient routine.

All bus riders are dropped off/picked up in the front of the school by the main doors. All car riders must drop off/pick up students in the back of the school by the basketball court. Please make sure to wait patiently in the line until you reach the students and teachers before any children enter your vehicle.

Please do not encourage the children to run to your vehicle away from the line. This has caused the driver to leave the line before following all the way through it and can create safety issues.

Let's just try to be efficient and put the children's safety first.

Wednesday

Hello all!

Please continue to send in any magazine sale order forms. The students who have turned them in so far will be coming home with a duck.... yes a duck. The sales help support our school and I appreciate everyone who has put in time to make this happen.

The Pink Arrow Pride game is this Friday in Lowell. We are a part of this community and we felt it would be important to participate in any way we can. Friday will be a jeans day if you wear a pink arrow shirt or any shirt if you are unable to purchase one. For more information about this you can read up at http://www.pinkarrowpride.org/

A Week in the Books

Although it was a short week it is one week in the books. Everyone at St. Pat's has survived the heat and after the extended weekend we should all be able to hit the ground running.

Our staff is looking forward to seeing all of you at the picnic tonight. If the weather doesn't cooperate we will have the opportunity to sit in air conditioning, mingle, and enjoy some good food. Thank you to the mothers putting this together tonight and for the continued support that you all provide for your school.

I hope that all of you have an excellent weekend. Stay safe!

First Couple Days!!!

It has been a fantastic first couple of days here at St. Patrick School.  After a quiet summer in the office our school finally feels ALIVE now that our students and teachers are filling the classrooms and hallways. They have been battling the heat in their classrooms and I give them all the credit in the world for maintaining a positive attitude and keeping the smiles on their faces.

A big thank you to all of the parents who continue to show support for our school as we continue to move forward. Our committees and volunteers have helped immensely in easing the transition for our new staff members into the new school year. The dedication that all of you have to the greater St. Patrick community is evident.

We are all looking forward to the community picnic this Thursday at 6pm. Rain or shine.... We'll be there!!

Great job this week students!