Mustang Memo

• Spiritual Reflection & All Souls Day Remembrance
• Notes from the Admissions Office: Priority Re-enrollment & Application
• School Safety Month
• Faculty Highlight
• Home & School Association Notes
• Student Life Notes
  
• Mark Your Calendars!

Our Spiritual Theme: We Walk by Faith

October Focus: We Walk by Faith... in Understanding

Matthew 14: 22-33

Spiritual Reflection by Miss Sheila O'Callaghan

We are finally coming to one of the favorite holidays of children. Halloween and Christmas are the holidays children like the most.

Sunday, October 27, is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary TIme. It is also World Mission Sunday.

October 28, is the feast of two apostles. One is Simon the Zealot and the other is Jude Thaddeus. Zealots work diligently for what they believe. Simon may have belonged to the political party called Zealots or he just may have been excited about doing God’s work.

Thaddeus means brave. This name tells us that Jude Thaddeus did brave things for Jesus. Do not mix up Jude Thaddeus with Judas Iscariot the traitor.

Halloween is celebrated on October 31. The word “hallow” is another word for a saint, a holy person. So the night before All Saints’ Day is called All Hallows Eve, or Halloween.

November 1, is All Saints’ Day. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. We will celebrate Mass. November 2, is All Souls’ Day. These two days are special days to remember all saints; those proclaimed by the Church and those who have gone before us, especially our relatives and friends. We pray for them and we remember them with love.

Please pray for the sick, especially Fr. Mink, Mrs. Miriam Harris, Oliver Conaty, and all the sick of our parish. Please continue to pray for Maureen Engelbert. Pray also for our Armed Forces and First Responders.

All Souls Day, November 2nd, is a day to honor those who have died. We plan to make a display in the Main Office windows of the names of the deceased that are close to the hearts of our SAS community.

Parents and faculty are encouraged to complete the form below by Wednesday, October 30 to include names of deceased loved ones to be included in our prayers throughout the month of November.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

• Priority Re-enrollment & Application: Remember to "be on the lookout" for priority re-enrollment and priority sibling application for the 2025-2026 school year! Priority applications will be accepted from November 1, through 3:30 p.m. on November 11.

• FACTS Applications: Please refer to the chart below to determine financial assistance application eligibility for the 2025-2026 school year:

In October, SAS staff and students will pay particular attention to creating and maintaining a safe school environment. This week, SAS students will practice an emergency shelter-in-place drill which will help us to prepare for severe weather or other instances that require taking shelter. We invite families to become informed on staying safe during emergencies that happen outside of school, too! There are many community resources to take advantage of.

2024 Delaware Leadership Prayer Breakfast:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3: 5-6).

Mrs. Dickinson, Grade 7 homeroom teacher, attended the 2024 Delaware Leadership Prayer Breakfast last week. Delaware Leadership Prayer Leaders “gather in the trust spirit of Jesus Christ to discover how we can be more effective as men and women with leadership responsibilities here in the county. We join with others to seek the Lord’s guidance and strength in the conduct of our business, professional, and community life together.” The guest speaker was Brian Hawkins, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer, Motivational Speaker and Author of Blessed by the Best: My Journey to Canton and Beyond.

Mrs. Dickinson was a guest of the Sunday Breakfast Mission, an organization that supports the homeless in our area. St. Ann families have donated items each year to provide Thanksgiving meals to those most in need. Our continuing generosity supports the most vulnerable in our area. Consider giving to the National Junior Honor Society’s Food Drive now; items listed in the Mustang Memo will be collected until November 1.

Thank you for a great Halloween Party!

Thank you to all of the families who helped to plan, provide candy for, and attend our "spirited" community party! We love moments to celebrate as a school and look forward to more holiday fun at Thanksgiving and Christmas time!

Last Week to Order Holiday Pies!

SAS is once again partnering with Desserts by Dana to make your holiday baking needs a breeze!

Here are the details:

• Pies are $23 each; orders and payments are due by Friday, November 1st
• Pies will be ready for pick-up at SAS on Monday, November 25th after school. Pie pick-up will take place in the church parking lot.
• To place your order, complete this google form
• Payment must be submitted via the school payments page after you submit your order
• Questions? Contact Brook Rowe at bepers@gmail.com or 302-562-8349 (texts preferred!)

Save the Date:

• November 4th: HSA meeting on google Meet (email invite will be sent out)
• November 20th: Metro Pizza Fundraiser dining night

Thank You, Mustangs!

NJHS students delivered our Halloween Costume haul this week.

Faculty at the school said, "Staff will distribute these costumes to families in need to help support them in celebrating our school's Character Day, Trunk or Treat, and Halloween. Without your partnership, that wouldn't have been possible. We appreciate your continuous support and generosity."

NJHS Moderator Mrs. Dickinson said, "The thoughtfulness and kindness of these actions is evident in our mission every single day-love God, work hard, and serve others. That's how we live."

Student Council Reminders

Mrs. Kuha is looking for student leaders to join Student Council, a group that works to create community and serve the student body of the school with special projects and initiatives throughout the year!

The group of officers will be comprised of 4 executive leaders in 8th grade, and 2 representatives from each of the 6th and 7th grades. Included below are important reminders about the application process/ deadlines. Any questions should be brought to Mrs. Kuha's attention!

Nature & Art Club: Grades 1-3

We are excited to announce the start of our Nature & Art Club for 1st to 3rd-grade students! This club will provide a fun and educational environment where students can explore their creativity through nature-inspired art projects. The club will meet on Wednesdays from 2:45 to 3:30 PM in the art room on the following dates:

• November 6, 2024
• November 13, 2024
• November 20, 2024

There are 20 seats available for this club. Registration opens at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, October 30th and can be completed on the Student Activities Page of the St. Ann School website.

We encourage all interested students to sign up as soon as possible, as space is limited!

Science Olympiad Practices Begin This Week

Coach Dugan has released a list of student teams, event assignments, and a practice schedule for all members of the middle school Science Olympiad program via email. She also included a permission slip with commitment reminders (related to time at home and important dates). Please contact her at jdugan1406@comcast.net with any questions!

The first practice session is schedule for Wednesday, October 30, dismissal until 4:00 pm. Please consult the attachment below for the full practice schedule.

Halloween on 10/31

• St. Ann School's main celebration of Halloween occurs through the HSA party (held this weekend).
• Teachers are welcome to plan class parties/ celebrations on 10/31 and you may have already received information from them on classroom-specific plans!
• Students will be permitted to enjoy a "Uniform Add-on Day" on 10/31 in which students can wear Halloween-inspired accessories to get in the spirit before an evening of Trick-or-Treating. Accessories can include special socks/ leggings, jewelry, ties, scarves, headbands, orange or black undershirts, etc. Accessories may not include masks, face paint, or costume weapons.

Winter Uniforms in Effect Nov. 1

Students are expected to wear Winter Uniforms from November - March. Please make note that the first day of Winter Uniforms is Friday, November 1. Specific details on student uniforms can be found in full on pages 12-14 of the School Handbook: https://www.thesaintannschool.org/parents/handbook-and-policies.

Flyers Tickets: Redeem Now!

Last year, our PE Teacher Mrs. King hosted a special program in conjunction with the Philadelphia Flyers and students in 3-8 grades were eligible to register for 2 game tickets this season! If you did indeed register, you should have received an email about how to redeem the tickets. Please check your inboxes and have a great time with Gritty and the team!

A snapshot of the email is pictured here for your reference!

Seeking Volunteer with Business Experience to Teach Financial Literacy to Middle School Students

We are looking for a volunteer with business experience to work with a small group of middle school students during their elective time on Thursdays from November 28th to February 27th, 1:50 PM - 2:35 PM. The volunteer will use the Junior Achievement Finance Park Entry Level curriculum, which teaches students the basics of financial literacy, including income, expenses, saving, and credit. This program helps students build a foundation for making smart, lifelong financial decisions. A field trip to Junior Achievement will be scheduled once the sessions are complete.

The volunteer must have a cleared background check on file. If you're interested in making a positive impact and helping students develop essential life skills, please reach out to Christine Kuha at ckuha@thesaintannschool.org.

Join St. Ann School's Team for the Bishop's 5K!

Click below to register.

On this half-day, grandparents (or special friends) are welcome to visit St. Ann School! We ask that visitors report to the school gymnasium upon arrival for open house-style classroom displays and presentations, to be followed by a prayer service and reception with light refreshments.

In order to ensure that families can attend these events together, students will attend by last name rather than by grade level and will alternate events:

10:00-10:25 am

Classroom Displays - Gymnasium

10:30 - 10:55 am

Reception - Families A-L (by student name)

Church

Prayer Service - Families M-Z (by student name)

Social Hall

11:00-11:25 am

Prayer Service - Families A-L

Church

Reception - Families M-Z

Social Hall

Please be attentive to the following instructions:

• To ensure that families submit only ONE registration to indicate that family guests will be in attendance for this event, we recommend that a parent of St. Ann's students complete the registration form (as opposed to grandparents and special friends).

• Please advise grandparents and special friends not to arrive early as morning classes will be in session. Doors open at 9:45 am. Guests should enter via the main school entrance.

• If you wish for your child to have permission to dismiss early (prior to the standard dismissal time of 11:45 am) with a grandparent or special friend that day, parents must indicate this on the registration form. Any student dismissing early must sign out in the Social Hall before leaving to ensure accurate record keeping and student safety.

• Please complete the Registration Form by Friday, November 15, 2024: https://forms.gle/jShsuKV3Dpz7KDbv8

We can't wait for this special day!

• October 29: 3rd Grade Field Trip

• October 31: 2nd Grade Field Trip

• November 1: All Saints Day School Mass

• November 4: HSA Meeting (Zoom), 6:30 pm

• November 8: 1st Grade Field Trip

• Week of November 11: STAR Testing Round 2

• November 16 & 17: Diocesan HSPT Dates

• November 23: Bishop's 5K at SMHS

• November 25: $1 Casual Day to Support the Missions

• November 26: Half-Day for Students, Grandparents Day

• November 27-December 2: Thanksgiving Holiday, School Closed

• December 3: First Reconciliation

• December 4: School Mass with Bishop Koenig

School Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am -3:30 pm

rcasey@thesaintannschool.org

302-652-6567