We recently received a Community Enrichment Grant from the Community Foundation of Greenville. This grant will be used to provide parent and teacher training, support literacy through building home libraries, and enhance the physical environment of our classrooms. In addition, the grant will help enrich our two pre-kindergarten classrooms and the kindergarten classroom.
Scouts hit the mark!
October 3rd, 2011 by Nicole Cendrowski
Pack 523 spent the day at The World of Energy’s annual Hunting and Fishing Day on October 1. Everyone had a blast, as we got to shoot bow and arrows, BB guns, visit a virtual shooting gallery, and participate in a virtual fishing experience. We learned about nature, animals, the environment, how energy is made and much more! Lunch was spent at a tailgate – we enjoyed eating Duke sandwiches and sides! The trip was lead by Cubmaster Norm, Asst. Cubmaster Michael, and dad Darry.
(Submitted by Cubmaster Norm.)
Pursuing truth where ever it may be found.
September 15th, 2011 by Nicole Cendrowski
Every once in a while you observe religious leaders posture themselves to promote their religion as superior, all the while berating other religions as substandard. Nothing could be farther from what a healthy Catholic leader does.
A healthy Catholic leader is a servant of all people in the Holy Name of the God of all people.
We don’t apologize for trying to fashion Catholic leaders here at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School. Some of the best Baptist preachers in the area are strong catholic leaders. We know a great Federal Appeals Court Judge who graduated from St. Anthony’s who is a catholic leader. We watch a Hollywood actor who came from St. Anthony’s take some roles and refuse others. He is an example of service to God and all people.
What Catholic really means is pursuing the truth wherever it may be found. It means pursuing things that last and grow in meaning – like cooking someone a meal who has had fallout in their family. It means doing something that shows we know who we are: God’s servants. It is never a shame to be under someone else.
We follow Jesus Christ, who, even though He was God, became a suffering servant. We find our dignity in this, and the whole human family is lifted up by our efforts. The Catholic Church has held up human life, God’s love and mercy, and the call to serve as prime values. That God would choose the likes of us to serve Him just tickles. “Wow! Okay. Here I am Lord…”
This is faithfully Catholic.
Our gratitude is the fuel we love with.
By: Fr. Patrick Tuttle, OFM
This is a Jesus School.
September 8th, 2011 by Sister Catherine
What does it mean to be faithfully Catholic? How can St. Anthony of Padua School claim to be Catholic when less than 20 percent of our students belong to our Church? For the sake of clarification, Catholics define church as the assembly of those whom God’s Word convokes, i.e., gathers together to form the People of God, and who themselves, nourished with the Body of Christ, become the Body of Christ. An awesome thought, to say the least!
The word “catholic” means “universal” in the sense of “according to the totality” or “in keeping with the whole.” As part of the Diocese of Charleston and of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, our school is, therefore, Catholic. We are part and parcel of the ministry of St. Anthony of Padua Parish. In the words of our children, “This is a Jesus School!”
In addition, our school is catholic because, as legally and canonically a part of the larger Church, we too have been sent out by Christ on a mission to the whole of the human race – in particular, to the children of our area. To paraphrase the late John Paul II, the ultimate purpose of mission is none other than to enable others to share in the communion between the Father and the Son in their Spirit of love.
To be faithful to this mission is to travel on the most amazing journey one can imagine! To know that one holds the responsibility and privilege of leading children closer to their true destiny requires a dedication and prayer-filled approach to life not to be taken lightly. It is only by holding hands with an arms-interlocked multitude have teachers and administrators been able to hold firm to this challenge for the past sixty years!
Let’s play ball!
September 3rd, 2011 by Nicole Cendrowski
Pack 523 started the year on August 26 with a night out at the ballgame. Fourteen boys went to see the Greenville Drive defeat the Augusta Green Jackets. We all enjoyed the game and the fireworks afterward. As a special surprise, we had box seats, which were donated by the Spinx Company, from the Spinx and Kids program. Thank you Stewart Spinks and all you do for our community! Also, a big thank you to Serve One Process Serving for the food!
The outing was lead by Cubmaster Norm, Asst. Cubmasters Stu and Michael, and Pack Mother Pam.
(Submitted by Cubmaster Norm.)
Next steps for our 2011 graduates
September 2nd, 2011 by Nicole Cendrowski
Madison Kyaer Frost. Madison attended St. Anthony School from K3 to Grade 6. Her favorite thing about St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School was the many field trips the students were able to have. One of her favorite field trips was to a Ball in the House performance.
Madison thinks the best thing she learned at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School was manners and respect for others. She doesn’t especially like math, but feels confident that she has learned what she needs to do well in middle school. She enjoyed the special time set aside for just plain READING and the time spent as an older student helping K5 children to read and spell.
On the down side, Madison said that leaks in the ceiling by the office looked awful and were sort of embarrassing. When asked what she would tell a family thinking about sending a child to St. Anthony’s, she would say that good reasons would be that the students treat each other like family and the small class size allows students to get help from the teacher more quickly.
Madison is looking forward to attending middle school.
Orlando Saavedra Ferguson. Orlando has been at St. Anthony’s just 2 years. His Uncle Mark, with whom he was living when he was 10, brought Orlando and his little brother to the school. They’d been attending Hollis Academy. Orlando found that at St. Anthony’s because there were fewer kids, he got to know everyone better. And Father Pat was kind, funny, and gave good advice.
Orlando enjoyed chess club, altar serving, and most of all, robotix club, where the students built a golf-bot, a ball hunter and a pitcher and batter. The things he did not like about this school were that the classroom was tiny and they couldn’t open the windows for air or get the room dark enough to use the projector properly.
His favorite things about St. Anthony’s were that the students get more attention when struggling with a particular subject, and that the school encourages students to become closer to God.
Orlando will study at Bryson Middle.
Q. Synclair Tucker. Synclair started at St. Anthony’s in K4, when her cousins were here. Her mom volunteered here was eventually hired as the School Secretary. Synclair’s favorite event was the visit from the Liverpool Soccer Team. Her favorite subject was Spanish, taught by Ms. Cannon.
She liked it that the students and the teachers got to know each other well over the years. She also loved being an altar server and helping other students learn the responsibilities of this privilege. Synclair hopes to become a cartoon designer or a dance instructor.
When asked ”why should parents consider sending their children to St. Anthony’s?” she said that because there is a small number of kids, people help each other as if they were family. She also feels that the children at the school are very welcoming to new students.
When asked what she would change about the school she said that a gym, a library and an art room would make it much nicer. She said that walking down the road to the community gym was not especially fun. Overall, she said, St. Anthony’s is a great school that has teachers who care about the students and children who try very hard to follow the Golden Rule.
Synclair will attend Legacy Charter School.
A special thank you to Suzanne Newton for interviewing our graduates and writing their stories!
Distinctly Franciscan: an introduction
July 22nd, 2011 by Nicole Cendrowski
What makes St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School “distinctly Franciscan” are the Franciscans! And those whose hearts have also been touched by St. Francis and St. Clare. May I recommend just about any literature you can find about St. Francis and suggest some reading? Even take a moment to google “St. Francis of Assisi” and let him enter your life. He animates this school from the foundation to the roof.
His special gifts for the world are: devotion to the beauty and order of creation (it obeys the Creator); his life of joyful penance – so thankful that God calls him to Himself despite his sin; simplicity of life; and a love of God that is superior to the temporary joys of the material world.
When gifts like these are all around you, how can you not rejoice and give thanks? That gratitude and joy is the base from which we Franciscan sisters and brothers, vowed religious or not, grow, serve, persevere and shine.
The shine, yes especially in our children, the shine! That is what makes us distinctly Franciscan.
By: Fr. Patrick Tuttle, OFM
Diamonds and Denim Jubilee: tickets are now on sale.
July 18th, 2011 by Nicole Cendrowski
Tickets for the Diamonds and Denim Jubilee are on sale online and after all Sunday Masses at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. Word on the street: tickets are going fast!
Scouts visit Lake Jocassee
July 9th, 2011 by Nicole Cendrowski
In late May, Cub Scout Pack 523 went on their last outing of the year: an overnight camping trip at Devils Fork at Lake Jocassee. We had fun hanging out with nature, swimming in the lake, and staying up way too late! We wrapped up the the trip at 12:00 Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. The trip was lead by Cubmaster Norm, Pack Mom Pam, Assistant Cubmaster Michael and Eagle Scout Rob.
Happy summer vacation, everyone!
Congratulations, 2011 graduates!
June 28th, 2011 by Nicole Cendrowski
St. Anthony of Padua School celebrated the graduation of their sixth grade class on June 2 at a ceremony with Franciscan Sister Catherine Noecker, principal, and Franciscan Father Patrick Tuttle. The graduates are Madison Frost, Orlando Sanchez-Ferguson and Synclair Tucker.
All three were honored with the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence and the Citizenship Award for their dedication to the school and community.
Synclair, Madison and Orlando were also part of the school’s inaugural class of the Alpha Honor’s Club, whose membership also included Adrianna Vandross, Dayanna Poole and Quint Greggs. The students were selected for membership based upon academic excellence and superb moral character throughout the school year.
Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson, a 1965 graduate of St. Anthony of Padua, spoke to the inductees. She serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Rhode Island and is the first black person to serve as a full judge in this capacity.
During her visit to Greenville, Thompson and her husband, Judge William C. Clifton, a Rhode Island District Court judge, made a financial contribution to the capitol campaign fund to build a new school.
(From The Catholic Miscellany.)