SPX Newsletter August 23, 2024
"Stay in the Loop" 2024-2025 2nd Edition
Principal Letter
Welcome back to a new school year! On Monday, we will open our doors to 536 students in the K-8 building, an increase of 50 students over the past two years. It’s wonderful to see our school community growing, as we are now nearly at capacity—what a great problem to have!
It was wonderful to see so many of our families at our Back-to-School Mass! The Panther Praisers, our staff choir, offered beautiful harmonies that truly allowed us to "pray twice,” and the Mass served as a powerful reminder that our faith is at the center of all we do. This Mass brought teachers and families together in prayer, seeking God's blessings for a safe and successful year.
If you attended our Sneak Peek, you probably noticed that the school looked immaculate! We are grateful to our summer maintenance team, led by Scott Marsh, for their hard work in ensuring everything was in perfect condition for the return of our students. Over the summer, we made several exciting improvements to our school grounds: we added additional landscaping, completed a much-needed restoration of our terrazzo floors, upgraded all of our campus security cameras, and installed barricade panels over the sidelights of classroom doors. We also added book cover designs to the stairs and installed new outdoor swings and a climbing wall in the gym. On top of that, Miss B and her father completed a phenomenal renovation of the outdated staff lounge. You can imagine how excited our teachers are! Although I’ve included several photos below, be sure to check out our updates in person during Meet the Teacher next week!
Our religious theme for the year is "Let Your Light Shine," inspired by Matthew 5:16. This theme reminds us to let our faith, kindness, and love shine brightly in everything we do, and our staff will be working hard to be daily examples for our students. Additionally, in the spirit of the Olympics and our commitment to continuous improvement, our teachers are embracing the motto of "Stepping It Up." We are committed to enhancing our efforts in three key areas: connection and engagement, service learning, and writing. By focusing on these areas, we hope to build stronger relationships within our school community, deepen our Catholic identity, and improve our students' writing skills. Our teachers will be working diligently to develop new strategies and approaches to help us achieve these goals.
We are thrilled to begin this new school year with each of YOU. Together, we will continue to build a nurturing, supportive, and faith-filled environment where every student experiences joy!
Let’s shine brightly this year,
Lisa Ruth, Principal
**We already have items in the Lost & Found! PLEASE label ALL belongings, so your child's items may be returned to you.**
Upcoming Calendar Events
Access the Full 2024-2025 Calendar in Your FACTS Family Portal
Saturday, August 24 St. Pius X Feast Day Mass 4:00-5:00 *Please note change of start time.*
Saturday, August 24 St. Pius X Feast Day Festival 5:00-10:00
Monday, August 26 First Day for All Students
Tuesday, August 27 First All School Mass (8:30, Church)
Wednesday, August 28 New Student Lunch
Thursday, August 29 School Picture Day
Thursday, August 29 Meet the Teacher Parent Event (7:00, School)
Monday, September 2 No School - Labor Day
Tuesday, September 3 All School Mass (8:30, Church)
Friday, September 6 Candy Forms Due
Friday, September 6 Bi-Monthly Newsletter Published
Monday, September 9 Mod Pizza HSA Fundraiser
Tuesday, September 10 All School Mass (8:30, Church)
Wednesday, September 11 Home & School Meeting (6:30, Library)
*ALL Parents are invited to attend.*
Thursday, September 12 Girl Scout Information Night (7:00, Cafeteria)
Tuesday, September 17 All School Mass (8:30, Church)
Tuesday, September 17 School Board Meeting (7:00, Library)
Thursday, September 19 Pizza With the Pastor (All students in Mrs. Hunt's 1st Grade)
Friday, September 20 Candy Sale Pickup
Friday, September 20 Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Tuesday, September 24 All School Mass (8:30, Church)
Wednesday, September 25 Columbus Zoo Presentation (PreK - 6th)
Friday, September 27 No School - Teacher Professional Development
Monday, September 30 Dress Down Day
Exciting Additions and Improvements
St. Pius X Feast Day Festival THIS SATURDAY!*
Dunk Tank Schedule
Be sure to stop by the dunk tank to take your best shot at some of our SPX celebrities!
5:00-6:00 Mrs. Weber
6:00-7:00 Mr. Kehres
7:00-8:00 Deacon Kelly
8:00-9:00 Mrs. Maloney
9:00 -10:00 Mr. Held
WE STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS
Please help us make our festival a success and sign up to volunteer!
BUY RAFFLE TICKETS ONLINE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $5,000!
RAFFLE TICKETS MAY NOW BE PURCHASED ONLINE USING THE LINKS BELOW!
Take a chance at winning up to $5,000 in cash prizes in our SPX Adult Raffle, or purchase tickets from the SPX Children/Teen Raffle for your chance to win one of the fabulous prizes listed below!
1 Adult Ticket for $10
https://square.link/u/tW8G7Z8F
4 Adult Tickets for $30
https://checkout.square.site/.../KAHQ473QMEYYVFVJJ25RICPC
1 Child/Teen Ticket for $5
https://checkout.square.site/.../DNCW5QVL4YK4DY67YXKVLAOV
5 Child/Teen Tickets for $20
Recess Fun
School Picture Day
Sample of Group Photo (Above)
School Picture Day is on Thursday, August 29. On this day, students may be out of uniform but must adhere to the Out of Uniform Guidelines outlined in the SPX Family Handbook. Please remember that the entire outfit may be visible in the group photo. Order forms will be sent home during the week of Picture Day.
Meet the Teacher
Please plan to join us on Thursday, August 29th at 7:00 p.m. for our Meet the Teacher Night. Parents will begin their evening in the gymnasium with staff introductions and messages from administrators and the Home & School Association. Following our introductions, parents will have the opportunity to visit their child’s classroom to learn about classroom procedures and expectations. There will be two 15 minute classroom sessions offered. (This is an adult-only event.)
**Since our kindergarten teachers hosted an orientation during Phase-In Days, they will not be presenting again during Meet the Teacher. Kindergarten parents are welcome to attend, tour, and meet staff members.**
Childcare Offered for Meet the Teacher
PLEASE REGISTER ASAP
Because our Meet the Teacher Night is for adults only, the latchkey team will be offering childcare beginning at 6:30 in Hohman Hall for $10.00 per child.
Please register using this link: https://forms.gle/R536cWaSL1JBTbMk6
Calling All Parent Alumni
If you are an SPX graduate, please plan to attend our Meet the Teacher Night! We'd love to get a photo of all of our alumni before we begin the classroom sessions.
Brick Fundraiser*
Help us build a new school Mary Grotto by purchasing a personalized brick! Thanks to the Class of 2024, SPX was gifted a beautiful life size statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Now, she needs a place to stand in honor!
Follow the link below to see our vision and purchase today!
Lunch Menu
Follow WEEK 1 for the week of August 26
Follow WEEK 2 for the week of September 3 (No School Monday-Begin with Tuesday)
Each Family is Asked to Complete the Volunteer Sign Up Form Below
All Families are Asked to Volunteer for at Least One Event
There will be many opportunities for parents to volunteer, so please make sure you have met the volunteer requirements before it's too late. If every parents chooses at least one event, we can continue to offer all of our incredible events!
Volunteer Requirements
If you are a new parent or a new volunteer, please follow these steps to be able to volunteer at St. Pius X next year:
1. Register for a PGC class. https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_0.cfm?theme=0
2. Complete BCI (if you have lived in OH for 5 consecutive years) Code 2151.86
All reports MUST be sent to:
Safe Environment Office
Diocese of Columbus
197 E. Gay Street
Columbus, OH 43215
The school CANNOT receive them, do not send them to St. Pius X!
Fall Fundraiser - 100% Participation Needed*
All Families are Asked to Complete the Form Below by Friday, September 6th.
EVERY student at SPX benefits from our Fall Fundraiser, so we are hoping for 100% participation in order to be able to continue to provide all of the amazing HSA activities and events.
https://forms.gle/oPSr9xHqSviLAPwm9
Please read this letter for more information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zhmhSEcjbWg_Gy_MSh7Y9Hfel_Mg34Kg/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115085969603727263597&rtpof=true&sd=true
Spirit Wear Store*
Order Spirit Wear and Gym Uniforms at https://www.stpius.printphase.com/
We are excited to announce that the HSA has contracted with a new spirit wear company with several new perks!
**For the 24-25 school year, dry-fit uniform shirts will be acceptable on gym days. The shirts are on sale now.**
- Orders may be placed at any time
- Orders shipped directly to your home
- Faster turnaround times
- More color options
Congratulations to Deacon Michael Berger*
We are so blessed to have Deacon Michael Berger, father of Oliva Berger (5th), assigned to St. Pius X Parish. His presence will undoubtedly enrich our community!
Back-to-School Message From Bishop Fernandes*
Mod Pizza Home & School Fundraiser*
Girl Scouts Information Night
SPX Blood Drive*
Please use this link to register to donate blood on any of the dates listed below: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=StPius
9/12/24
11/7/24
1/16/25
4/24/25
6/19/25
9/18/25
Event for Mary's Meals*
Jesus Night at Damascus for Students in 6th-8th Grade
High School News
SPX Social Media*
Follow us on social media for a peek into your child's school day!
Click on these links and follow us:
St. Pius X School
Email: stpiusx@cdeducation.org
Website: https://www.spxelementary.com/
Location: 1061 Waggoner Road, Reynoldsburg, OH, USA
Phone: 614-866-6050