SPB Family Newsletter
Thursday, March 4, 2021
Mission Statement
The Eucharistic community of Saint Paschal Baylon Catholic School
focuses on Christ-centered values and develops the unique potential of each student
through a rigorous and engaging curriculum.
Calendar of Events
Scholastic Virtual Book Fair-March 1-14
Sunday
Third Sunday of Lent
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
School Mass--Grades 5-6
Thursday
Friday
NO SCHOOL-Diocesan Professional Day
8th Grade Musical Fundraiser-LaVera Fish Fry
A Note from the Principal
As we move through Lent, I am inspired by our students! They are not only learning about the liturgical season of Lent, but they are also practicing acts of praying, fasting, and giving. As I visit classrooms, there are visible signs of what they are learning about Lent, including posters they have created, their participation in Stations of the Cross, and more.
Last week, we received some exciting news. Our school was awarded a $10,000 Rooted in Faith grant. In September, we submitted our grant request to fund the replacement of lockers in our classrooms. This money, in addition to We Give Catholic funds and any money earned from our Locker Challenge, could potentially help to replace lockers in seven classrooms! A special THANK YOU to Mrs. Klepcyk for writing the winning grant!
Unfortunately, our annual Education Fair which was to be held next week has been canceled again this year due to the pandemic. We hope that 2022 sees the return of this wonderful event where our students can showcase their learning and where we can gather as a community to celebrate all that SPB has to offer.
Finally, our 2021-2022 school year calendar has been approved by the diocese. The first day of school is August 25, and our last day of school is June 8. Please click on the button below to see the full calendar.
Grace and blessings,
Diane Raguz, Principal
Harvest for Hunger 2021
Mrs. Longano & Mr. Martin, along with some caring 8th graders, will be hosting our annual Harvest for Hunger Campaign the week of March 15-19. Fighting Hunger, One Dollar at a Time is this year’s theme to motivate our SPB student community in giving to this cause. You will also find the schedule for next week which will give the various dress down days we are sponsoring. There is a new sense of urgency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need more than ever to help our neighbors who are hungry. This year we will not be collecting canned goods. A donation of $1.00 a day, or $5.00 for the week, will allow your child to participate in all activities. Please make all checks payable to Harvest for Hunger. Remember $1 provides 4 meals or $10 in groceries for a family in need.
Thank you for any donation you might be able to make to this community-wide food drive! Our work is going to make a difference in the lives of many families, children, and seniors in our area.
Mrs. Longano & Mr. Martin
ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?
A very generous donor who is a member of our parish has challenged us to raise $10,000 to purchase lockers for additional classrooms in our school. This donor WILL MATCH what we raise up to $10,000! Should we meet this challenge, we would be able to equip a total of FIVE classrooms in combination with the money we raised through We Give Catholic in early December. This locker replacement project has been the focus of We Give Catholic the past two years. Last year we were able to replace lockers in two classrooms.
We are reaching out to you to help us meet this challenge. Our gracious benefactor said that it could be one donor, fifty donors, or 100 donors who help meet this goal of raising $10,000. If you are interested in donating, please send in a check to the office made out to Saint Paschal Baylon School. In the memo line, you can write "Locker Challenge." Are you up for the challenge?
School Advisory Council-Parent Survey
Thank you,
Kelly Kunchik and Nicole Waggle
School Advisory Council Co-Chairs
School Advisory Council
Some Important Reminders Regarding COVID-19
If your child exhibits even one symptom on the list of common COVID-19 symptoms, please keep him/her at home. Children and adults who are only experiencing what they would normally consider to be a minor symptom are testing positive. Please don’t brush it off as nothing. We want to keep all of our students and faculty/staff members safe, but we need everyone to closely monitor their symptoms and consider the common good.
If someone in your home is being tested for COVID-19, please keep your child at home until you know the final results. This is very important because you could be potentially exposing students unnecessarily.
Also, if a family member tests positive, everyone in the household is considered a close contact and should quarantine for the 14 days recommended by the CDC.
Please inform us as soon as possible should your child test positive so that we can begin contact tracing immediately and identify high risk close contacts. This is an essential step in helping to slow the spread.
The boards of health in different counties are overwhelmed with cases; therefore, you may or may not receive a phone call from them should your child be identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive. Should your child be identified as a close contact in school, we will communicate this to you. Your child should quarantine for 14 days as recommended by the CDC. While they have put out new guidance for a shorter quarantine, we will remain with 14 days of quarantine which is what was recommended to us by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health during their visit.
Masks need to be worn by K-8 students at all times during the school day except for lunch. Masks need to be worn during recess and gym. Please make sure your child’s mask fits properly, that they have an extra or two in their bookbags, and that they are washed regularly.
If your family traveled to a state on the advisory list, please remain at home for the 14 days recommended by the CDC.
Forgotten Items
Scholastic Virtual Book Fair Continues!
Spring Fling Art Contest
Spring Fling Parish Festival XII
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Second Sunday of Lent
Dear Family and Friends,
2020 was a year to remember and possibly forget. When the country effectively closed its doors in March, we were busy preparing for our annual Spring Fling Parish Festival XII. Understanding the health situation that faced us, we made the decision to cancel many aspects of the ‘in person” 2020 Festival. We identified the 2021 Festival dates and began our preliminary planning activities.
Unfortunately, we are not having our typical 4-day “in person” 2021 Spring Fling Parish Festival XII because of safety concerns. We are working on a hybrid event with activities that can be safely enjoyed with guidance from the State of Ohio.
We will be publishing our annual Sponsor Booklet (1,500 copies). As a valued past sponsor and partner in our parish’s mission, we ask for your support. Not only will you be helping us achieve a successful event, our major fundraiser for our award-winning Catholic School, but there are great benefits to your business, and they include:
- Ad/Listing in program booklet which will be distributed throughout the parish and community.
- An online version will be posted on our website (digital) and emailed to our parishioners and friends.
- Promotion of your business/organization to over 2,300 families and friends.
- Listing in our weekly in-pew bulletin.
We invite you to take advantage of the many exciting sponsorship levels outlined. Contact us at 440-442-3410 x 101or at Festival@saintpaschal.com with questions. Our ad deadline is Wednesday, April 7, 2021 so please reserve your space now! We look forward to having you as a Saint Paschal Baylon Spring Fling XII Festival Sponsor. Thank you for all you do for SPB – let us continue to pray for each other!
In Christ our Eucharist,
Reverend John Thomas Lane, SSS, ’79
Pastor
Saint Paschal Baylon Roman Catholic Community is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Your contribution is deductible to the fullest extent of the law, as no good or services were provided in consideration of your gift.
Richmond Heights Bus-IMPORTANT
Before Care Not Available NEXT YEAR
Remote Learning
The 8th Grade Class of 2021 Musical Review
The 8th Grade Class of 2021 will be presenting “Together” this Spring
Due to COVID, the traditional 8th Grade Play needed to be reinvented. The Class of 2021 will present a virtual musical review in the spring. Rehearsals have been taking place and now it is time to fundraise. Please mark your calendars to take part in a Lenten Fish Fry thanks to La Vera on Friday, March 12, 2021. A flyer can be found below. Thank you in advance for your support and please keep a lookout for updates about “Together.”
Like our Athletics Association on Facebook
Please like our Athletics Page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/StPaschalBaylonAthleticAssociation. It's a great way to stay up to date for registrations and sharing upcoming events. GO GREEN KNIGHTS!
PTO Fundraisers
Romeo's Pizza on April 7
5th Avenue Deli and Grill on March 20
Looking ahead...Watch for information on our Chipotle Fundraiser on May 11 and an exciting new fundraiser, "Nothing Bundt Cake", which we will hold around Mother's Day! Complete information will be shared soon.
Thank you for your overwhelming support this year!
Student Assignment Notebooks/Folders
Summer Solutions
Diocesan Tuition Grant & Aid through FACTS
FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment will be conducting the financial need analysis for Saint Paschal Baylon Catholic School for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year. Families applying for financial aid will need to complete an application and submit the necessary supporting documentation to FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment by March 15, 2021. Applicants can apply online by clicking this FACTS link. Once an online application has been completed, the following information will need to be sent to FACTS to complete the application process:
Copies of your most recent Federal tax forms including all supporting tax schedules.
Copies of your 2020 W-2 forms for both you and your spouse.
Copies of supporting documentation for Social Security Income, Welfare, Child Support, Food Stamps, Workers’ Compensation, and TANF.
All supporting documentation can be uploaded in pdf format online.
Documentation can also be faxed to 866-315-9264 or mailed to the address below. Please be sure to include the applicant ID on all faxed or mailed correspondence.
FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment
P.O. Box 82524
Lincoln, NE 68501-2524
If you have questions or concerns about the application process, you may speak with a FACTS Customer Care Representative at 866-441-4637.
The Diocese of Cleveland has provided a flyer explaining the FACTS Grant & Aid Application process. Remember that you must apply for Diocesan Tuition Assistance and complete the FACTS Grant & Aid application to be eligible to receive any assistance from the Saint Paschal Baylon GIFTS Program. The deadline to apply for first round consideration is March 15, 2021.
Kotoch Family Scholarship Application
New Student Referral Program
Lenten Meal Blessing
Lenten Meal Blessing
We bless you, Lord, and we praise you,
for you have given us this meal to share,
provided by the earth and prepared by human hands.
Help us remember those who cannot eat
because of poverty or sickness.
Let the brief hunger we feel this Lent
make us hunger even more for justice.
May this meal strengthen us to do your will.
Blessed be God for ever.
All: Blessed be God for ever.
Acknowledgement:
Diana Macalintal “Lenten Meal Blessing,” in The Work of Your Hands: Prayer for Ordinary and Extraordinary Moments of Grace (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014), 71. As printed in the February 2021 issue of Give Us This Day www.giveusthisday.org (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2021). Used with permission.
Primary Grades Parents--We Need You!
We are asking that each family (mom, dad, grandma, etc.) choose at least two days to volunteer each time slot being 11:15 am-12:50 pm. There are many, many time slots open! We are so grateful for the help!
This is a great way for you to interact with your child and his/her classmates during the school day! Recess Volunteers should arrive to school at 11:10 and check in at the office. Duties will include supervising students at recess, escorting the students to and from the school doors. Volunteers will be with one school staff member each day to help direct.
Remember that after your two volunteer time slots, you are done for the year, as each month is assigned to a different grade.
COVID-19 Volunteer Protocol: all recess volunteers are required to wear a mask and complete the Visitor Self-Screening form when they arrive at school.
Thank you again for your time and service to the students and teachers of SPB! Simply click on the following links to sign up: Grade 2, Grade 1, Kindergarten.
Thank you to our parents who were able to help us during the month of February: Mr. John Moon, Dr. Robier Aguillon-Prada, Mr. Ray Still, Mrs. Christine Verdone, Mrs. Kim Santagata, Mr Luke Ockenden, Mr. Brent Pietrafese, Mrs. Letia Lee, Mrs. Sarah Echan, Mrs. Deb Koeberer, Mrs. Carolyn Still, Mrs. Cheryl Pietrafese, Mrs. Kathleen Kern, Mrs. Molly Vincent, Dr. Joan Rothenberg, Mr. Michael Cogan, Mrs. Amy Rupp, Mrs. Emily Quinn, Mrs. Paula Metz, and Dr. Leigh Ann Kerns.