Message From the Principal of           St. Anthony School

Welcome to our St. Anthony School Website! 

 

You may be visiting from far away, or from right around the corner.  In either case, welcome!  I am confident that you will recognize in the materials posted on this website the expression of our mission statement, “To educate students to be joyous, loving, and Christ-centered individuals, capable of serving others and bettering the world.” 

 

Each day, I see a faith community engaged actively in our mission.  The extraordinary commitment of teachers is evident in our classrooms, where children are known as individuals and their instructors work tirelessly to meet their unique needs.  The efforts of these thirty classroom teachers and specialists are combined with the dedication of a large staff of playground, extended-day and lunchroom supervisors, instructional aides, custodians and office staff who work together to provide a safe, prayerful, well-maintained and humming environment for these children.  The students themselves – over 500 very diverse individuals – manifest curiosity, eagerness (most of the time!), and a strong desire to grow, to relate and contribute to those around them and to their world.  Our parent and our parish volunteers complete the scene, making our challenging mission achievable.  Through a quality academic program, a variety of prayer experiences, state-of-the-art technology, a well-developed arts and athletic program, and support/enrichment programs, a full, rich – and still joyful! - school environment is achieved.

 

For the 2010 – 2011 year, our theme is, “Learning Under the Rainbow: Keeping the Covenant.”  Our families and our staff believe strongly in God’s rainbow promise to be with us, to guide us, to give our community members the skills needed for success, continued growth, and holiness.   This year, we want to strengthen this perception among our students, helping them to be confident of the Spirit’s gifts within each one, to count on God’s presence, and to understand better that a covenant is a two-way agreement.  Participating in a Christian community requires a mutual commitment to goals, some give and take, and a willingness to forgive and be forgiven.  We want them to know that the learning they are undertaking is more than “book learning,” that social and moral education occurs here as well, and that they have an active role in committing to and expressing our mission.

 

In the way they actively participate in parish and school life, parents reinforce this theme by their commitment to the school mission and to the common good.  And they do!  St. Anthony School would not be able to operate without parents who assist in the classroom, assume leadership on planning and organizational committees, participate actively in development efforts and take responsibility for a myriad of school activities – carnivals, festivals, class field trips and parties.  On top of that, our Catholic families are expected to be active members of one of the three parishes which support us financially, contributing to make these communities vibrant and active.  All this is an important part of the “hidden curriculum” where, by observing adults, children learn that keeping a covenant is a mutual, multi-faceted and very intentional commitment. 

 

As you peruse this web site, look for expressions of our Christian faith, for signs of “covenant-keeping” in action, naming it for yourself and others.  If you can, come visit personally and participate in our efforts aimed at educating children to become joyful, loving, faith-filled individuals, capable of serving others and bettering the world!

 

Blessings, Sister Linda Riggers, snjm, Principal