Dear SPC Families,

I hope all your children are enjoying Catholic Schools Week! We are certainly having a wonderful time each day. I think my personal highlight was the Tuesday Teacher Swap; who knew Mr. O could switch gears from middle school Math to preschool with such ease or that Mrs. Rabinak could teach PE? We are truly blessed with flexible and fun teachers! Tomorrow, the teachers will attempt a three-peat volleyball championship against our 8th graders; stay tuned for the results!  

Happy CTS Eve!! We are so excited to celebrate on the Vegas/Milwaukee Strip! The fantastic CTS committee, led by Megan Weber, Kelly Bontempo, and Amy DiGregorio, is ready for a fabulous event celebrating our community! I want to give a special shout-out to Mary Ploen, our Director of Advancement, for all her hard work in planning and organizing to ensure the event's success! She has been coordinating CTS efforts since 2009, and this CTS is lucky number 13!!   

Let the bidding begin... shortly!
Later today, everyone attending CTS will receive an automated Welcome to Online Bidding message on their cell phone and/or email. This message links to their online bidding page and connects to their CTS admissions.

We will also send an all-school email blast containing the online bidding site link for everyone who is not able to attend CTS tomorrow night. Please be sure to check out the latest additions to the Auction (after the book went to print.) You won't want to miss out on those. 

Please take the time to read the forthcoming CTS-related emails and communications thoroughly, starting with the information directly below my letter. I look forward to celebrating with you tomorrow! 

Save the Dates February:
February 12th- No school
February 16- No school, faculty professional development day
February 19- No school Presidents Day

Peace,
Dr. Erika Mickelburgh

Important Updates: We have some wonderful additions to our online auction, including In the Kitchen with Dr. M and Glow in the Dark Scavenger Hunt with Dr. M and Ms. Iacopelli! Be sure to review the entire auction when you receive the link to the online bidding site later today. We have something for everyone and are so grateful to all of our donors!

Attention: It's time to secure your TSA PreCheck for your flight to SPegas!

Hello CTS Partygoers!

We hope this message finds you in great spirits as we gear up for an unforgettable Friday night in Las Vegas SPegas, Celebrating the Spirit!
 

A huge shoutout to our amazing sponsors, especially our Presenting Sponsor, FPS Management, for making this first-class trip to Las SPegas possible. Thank you to Josh Brown of State Farm and Jim Stinson of Northwestern Mutual, our generous Cocktail Sponsors, offering delightful options like Josh's "Take a Cab" Cabernet and Jim's "Mr. Happy'' - perfect companions for your evening in SPegas while you place your bets, visit Little SPegas Chapel, tune into Elvis, enjoy Magic by Randy, laugh with Mr. Derick, and dance the night away at the SPegas Nightclub.

We're bringing back some fun traditions to the Niles Strip, including the Party Boards. These exclusive invitations can only be signed up on-site during the event. For those who are new to these, you write your name and bid number directly on the board to reserve your spot. 

If you want to sign up for a friend who cannot attend CTS, write YOUR name and bid number to secure your friend's spot. Only attendees will be able to sign on the party boards using their own bid numbers. Once the spots fill up, the party will be sold out.

Remember to charge your smartphones, bring your SPegas spirit, and get ready for a night filled with entertainment, blessings, laughter, and dancing. We can't wait to celebrate with you all!

Let's make it a night to remember,

Kelly Bontempo, Amy DiGregorio, and Megan Weber

SPC Athletics

Please click on the image or here to register today.

SPC Home & School Association

 
Please click here to register for Bowling with the Boys.

Please click here to download the flyer.

Webinar: Helping Your Child Face Their Fears

Spring Session Information. Please click here.

Chess Ed Kumbaya Presidents Day Workshop on February 19th. 
Click here for details.

We have an active and vibrant parish and encourage everyone to read the weekly bulletins for Fr. James' weekly letter and stay informed about all upcoming events and programs. 

Please click here for the latest bulletin. 
Please click here for Fr. James' "The Daily" - Daily Mass Readings and Reflections

FROM THE COMMUNITY

From the Community

Park Ridge Baseball and Softball Registration Now Open
Age 5 (by August 31st) and Up

Edison Park Girls Youth Soccer Grades 4-8 Registration Begins!

Dear SPC Families,

Congratulations to our 2nd graders who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week! Next week, we have a very fun week planned for Catholic Schools Week; please see below for a list of activities. Thank you to the Catholic Schools Week Committee for planning a great week and to the SPC Life Team for coordinating our service project for the week. 

Celebrating the Spirit Next Friday!

The CTS Committee is finalizing the last-minute details before welcoming us all to FABULOUS Las SPegas next Friday! We are so grateful to our incredible volunteers, generous donors, and sponsors for making this event what it will be! I look forward to celebrating the spirit with so many of you next Friday night! 

Tomorrow, we'll send home the CTS program books with your oldest/only child, so check those backpacks. Enjoy all the beautiful and heartfelt Well Wishes and our incredible sponsor pages. You'll also get a sneak peek at the exciting Party Boards, Student Class Art, Teacher Treats, and one-of-a-kind auction packages. Stay tuned for more important updates from our CTS committee throughout the upcoming week. 

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK:

• SUNDAY: Feel free to stop by our Open House from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and visit the classrooms! All students attending the Open House in Uniform will receive an out-of-uniform pass.
• MONDAY: We Celebrate the Community! Students will dress as community helpers and kick-start the week-long service project led by the SPC Life Team! Students will collect baby essentials for the women’s center.
• TUESDAY: We Celebrate the Students! Students can wear jeans or jammies, and a fun 1st annual Teacher Swap will happen during the morning. All the teachers will switch classrooms for a class period. We will also celebrate our Catholic Schools Week Mass.
• WEDNESDAY: We Celebrate Our Nation! Students dress in red, white, and blue and will write thank you cards to our veterans!
• THURSDAY: We Celebrate Vocations! Today, students will get a treat and be led in prayer in the morning and afternoon by 2 of our previous pastors. Father Britto and Father Carl sent video prayer messages for the students and will share what being at St. Paul meant to them!  
• FRIDAY: We Celebrate Faculty, Staff, and Volunteers! The Annual Faculty vs. 8th-Grade Volleyball Game happens today! The faculty will defend their CSW volleyball championship title! 

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK COMMITTEE:  Ms. Iacopelli, Mrs. Dohr, Mrs. Rinaldi, Mrs. Pecoraro, Ms. Burke, Mrs. Kraft, Ms. Whalen, and Mrs. Kusinski. THANK YOU!

Catholic Schools Week Calendar Flyer

JANUARY SAVE THE DATES - (please remember to sync your calendar to the school calendar from the website)

January 28th  - Catholic Schools Week Open House (10:00 am-12:00 pm)

January 28 - February 2  - Catholic Schools Week!

Peace,
Dr. Erika Mickelburgh

We Can't Wait to Celebrate the SPC Spirit Next Friday!

We are finalizing the last-minute details before welcoming you to FABULOUS Las SPegas next Friday! We are so grateful to our generous donors, sponsors, and volunteers for making this event what it will be!

Tomorrow, we'll be sending home the CTS program books with your oldest/only child, so check those backpacks. Enjoy all the beautiful and heartfelt Well Wishes and our incredible sponsor pages. You'll also get a sneak peek at the exciting Party Boards, Student Class Art, Teacher Treats, and one-of-a-kind auction packages. You'll have plenty of great choices to plan what you'll be bidding on. There are some updates to the auction since the book went to print, and that will all be listed on the mobile/online bidding site next week. Stay tuned...we will be sharing many more important details!

Change of plans and your calendar has cleared for next Friday? Join us! Purchase tickets here.

Thank you for supporting SPC!

Thank you! 
CTS 2024 Co-Chairs
Kelly Bontempo, Amy DiGregorio, and Megan Weber

SPC Home & School Association

The next Home and School Association meeting will be tomorrow, Friday, January 26th, at 8 AM in Duffin Hall. An email with a virtual link to join will also be shared the day prior to the meeting.

During this meeting, we'll have exciting updates on CTS, Parent / Child Events, Open Committee Roles, and Spring Activities. We hope that you will join us as we introduce our new Home and School Association Board to the SPC community:

Dan Bohlke, President
Erin Greene, Vice President
Christine Bryant, Treasurer
Rachel Barrett Kennedy, Secretary

If you have any questions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We look forward to seeing you there!

 
Please click here to register for Bowling with the Boys.

Please click here to download the flyer.

Chess Ed Kumbaya Presidents Day Workshop on February 19th. 
Click here for details.

We have an active and vibrant parish and encourage everyone to read the weekly bulletins for Fr. James' weekly letter and stay informed about all upcoming events and programs. 

Please click here for the latest bulletin. 
Please click here for Fr. James' "The Daily" - Daily Mass Readings and Reflections

FROM THE COMMUNITY

From the Community

Park Ridge Baseball and Softball Registration Now Open
Age 5 (by August 31st) and Up

Edison Park Girls Youth Soccer Grades 4-8 Registration Begins!

 Pre-K Social Skills Therapy Groups in January at Assential Therapy

Dear SPC Families,
It is good to be back in school! Thank you for your understanding and patience this week. Let's hope the cold weather is behind us. This weekend, we have much to celebrate on the basketball court as all of our 6th-8th grade teams battle in the playoffs. We love to see SPC families in the stands, so check in with the SPC Athletic Instagram for games and locations for the tournament! You can also check the conference website for the latest playoff bracket.

Celebrating the Spirit is coming up in two weeks…Friday, February 2nd, a night you won’t want to miss! Reminder: Tonight at Midnight, tickets will increase to $150. If you plan on attending but have not yet purchased your tickets, click here.  

Stay tuned next week; the committee will share a sneak peek of the exciting Party Boards, precious Student/Class Art, Teacher Treats, and one-of-a-kind auction packages. 

Catholic Schools Week:

It is the most wonderful week of the year! Catholic Schools Week is right around the corner and promises to be a fun-filled week celebrating St Paul of the Cross. We start Catholic Schools Week on Sunday, January 28th, with our Open House and close the week with CTS on Friday, February 2nd! Please see below for a schedule of activities:
Catholic Schools Week Schedule of Activities
 

JANUARY SAVE THE DATES (please remember to sync your calendar to the school calendar from the website)
January 19th:
Re-enrollment ends for current families
Home and School Out of Uniform
January 28th Catholic Schools Week Open House (10:00 am-12:00 pm)
January 28-February 2 - CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK!  

Re-ENROLLMENT for 2024-2025
If you still need to complete your re-enrollment, please do so by tomorrow! Beginning the week of January 22nd, we will start reviewing and accepting new applications for the 24-25 school year. Current families' enrollment is only guaranteed through January 22nd!

Peace,

Dr. Erika Mickelburgh

Celebrating the Spirit 2024

We can't wait to Celebrate the SPC Spirit on February 2nd!
Don't forget that the ticket price increase to $150 at Midnight TONITE! Purchase tickets here

Celebrating the Spirit will be an outstanding night from the moment you pull up to our Fabulous Las SPegas! The casino tables will open at 7:30 pm; until then, grab a drink, sign up for your favorite parties on our fantastic Party Boards, renew your vows in the chapel, bid on the auction packages and precious student class art, and socialize with friends. It will be a night to remember!

We'll give a sneak peek next week, so stay tuned for the exciting Party Boards, Student Class Art, Teacher Treats, and one-of-a-kind auction packages. The Party Boards are physical sign-up boards at CTS and will not be on the mobile bidding. Many of these will sell out quickly, so plan to get to Las SPegas early to sign up for the parties you want to attend!

Thank you for supporting SPC!

Thank you! 
CTS 2024 Co-Chairs
Kelly Bontempo, Amy DiGregorio, and Megan Weber

SPC Home & School Association

The next Home and School Association meeting will be on Friday, January 26th, at 8 AM in Duffin Hall. An email with a virtual link to join will also be shared the day prior to the meeting.

During this meeting, we'll have exciting updates on CTS, Parent / Child Events, Open Committee Roles, and Spring Activities. We hope that you will join us as we introduce our new Home and School Association Board to the SPC community:

Dan Bohlke, President
Erin Greene, Vice President
Christine Bryant, Treasurer
Rachel Barrett Kennedy, Secretary

If you have any questions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We look forward to seeing you there!

 
Please click here to register for Bowling with the Boys.

Please click here to download the flyer.

We have an active and vibrant parish and encourage everyone to read the weekly bulletins for Fr. James' weekly letter and stay informed about all upcoming events and programs. 

Please click here for the latest bulletin. 
Please click here for Fr. James' "The Daily" - Daily Mass Readings and Reflections

FROM THE COMMUNITY

From the Community

Park Ridge Hawks Lacrosse Boys and Girls Spring Registration

 Pre-K Social Skills Therapy Groups in January at Assential Therapy

Dear SPC Families,
Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas break! I'm dedicating much of my Thursday Mailing letter to the delightful January Chicago weather.

It's hard to believe our first Celebrating the Spirit Gala since 2020 is three short weeks away! The committee has been working hard in preparation for this exceptional community-building party for all of us! It's great to have all the RSVPs coming in! Remember, the ticket prices go up next week, January 19th. Click here to purchase your tickets. 

FREEZING COLD WEATHER NEXT WEEK!
Next week, the bitter cold arrives; therefore, we will do our best to limit the EGC students to the UGC. Mrs. Dohr will come over for Library for grades preschool-2. However, since we will most likely have indoor recess, we plan to walk over for gym time so the students can run around! We will make that decision based on the specific day's temperature.

Drop off: We will continue the kiss-and-go at drop-off next week, but I am instructing the helpers to go inside right at 8:00 am; if you are late, you must walk your children inside.

SNOW DAY DECISIONS!
December was such a joy with mild winter temperatures and inclement weather, but it does not look like January will treat us the same way! Making the call to close school for weather is my least favorite decision because unless there is a blizzard that shuts everything down, the decision will always result in some people being unhappy. While there is no exact science to calling a snow day, I evaluate the following: Can students and teachers get to and from school safely?

WHEN DO I MAKE THE DECISION?
I make the decision the night before so that families can plan accordingly, but I won't call the day if there is no snow falling from the sky. Given that teachers must travel to school, the latest I will decide is by 5:00 am the day of. If you have yet to hear by 5:00 am, consider us open!

HOW WILL I BE NOTIFIED?
Gone are the days of sitting by the TV watching for the school name to scroll across the bottom. We will send an email blast, text message, and robo-phone call! We will also post it on Instagram. We will also notify the Emergency Closing Center.

IF THERE IS A SNOW DAY, WILL THERE BE REMOTE LEARNING?
I am a believer that there is childhood joy in hearing the news of an impromptu snow day. Therefore, the first "snow day" is always a good old-fashioned day, a surprise day off. If there is a need for more emergency closing days, then we will likely have asynchronous learning days.

SNOW DAY COOKIES:
This is a friendly reminder that you should have these ingredients on hand to bake if we do have a snow day!
Here is Dr. M's SnowDay Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe...
Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1-teaspoon baking soda
1 Cup Butter (softened)
1/4 Cup White Sugar
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Small Package Instant Vanilla Pudding (secret ingredient)
1/4 Cup Love (secret ingredient)
1/3 Cup "It's a snow day" excitement (secret ingredient)
1-teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
1 Package (12 oz) Chocolate Chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix flour with baking soda in a separate bowl. Set aside.
In a different bowl: Combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla pudding, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add eggs.
Add flour to the mixture and combine.
Add chocolate chips, 1/4 Cup love, and 1/3 Cup "it's a snow day" excitement!!
Drop onto the baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Enjoy while watching a favorite movie or playing a family board game!

Welcome, Mr. Jay Torrens, Music Teacher!
Hello, my name is Mr. Torrens, and I will be the new music teacher for the rest of the year! I studied K-12 Music Education with a Vocal Emphasis at Millikin University and am excited for the many fun activities I'll be doing with the students.

JANUARY SAVE THE DATES (please remember to sync your calendar to the school calendar from the website)
January 15th: NO SCHOOL
January 17 & 18th: Iready Winter Testing
January 19th:
Re-enrollment ends for current families
Home and School Out of Uniform
January 28th Catholic Schools Week Open House (10:00 am-12:00 pm)
January 28-February 2 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK! More fun details to follow next week.

Re-ENROLLMENT for 2024-2025
If you still need to complete your re-enrollment, please do so by January 19th! Beginning the week of January 22nd, we will start the process of reviewing and accepting new applications for the 24-25 school year. Current families' enrollment is only guaranteed through January 22nd!

THANK YOU NOTE FROM THE WOMEN'S CENTER:
Congratulations! In collaboration with the parish, we raised over $23,000 from the baby bottle project! Click here for the letter 

Peace,

Dr. Erika Mickelburgh

Celebrating the Spirit 2024

We can't wait to Celebrate the SPC Spirit on February 2nd!
Purchase tickets here, and don't forget that the ticket prices go up next week on January 19th!

 
Click here for tickets!

Thank you! 
CTS 2024 Co-Chairs
Kelly Bontempo, Amy DiGregorio, and Megan Weber

SPC Home & School Association

Home & School Association Restaurant Fundraiser - Lou Malnati's, Tuesday & Wednesday, January 16th & 17th
The H&S fundraiser will be at Lou Malnati's on Tuesday & Wednesday, January 16th & 17th. If you participate, students may come out of uniform on Thursday, January 18th.  They will not have out of uniform passes, so please send your receipt to school with your child. Thank you for your support!

 
Please click here to register for Bowling with the Boys.

Please click here to download the flyer.

Chess Ed - Chess Enrichment Workshop 
NO SCHOOL MLK DAY 1/15/24
Please click here for all the details and to register.

We have an active and vibrant parish and encourage everyone to read the weekly bulletins for Fr. James' weekly letter and stay informed about all upcoming events and programs. 

Please click here for the latest bulletin. 
Please click here for Fr. James' "The Daily" - Daily Mass Readings and Reflections

FROM THE COMMUNITY

From the Community

Park Ridge Hawks Lacrosse Boys and Girls Spring Registration

Edison Park Indoor Youth Soccer Spring Registration Information 
Click here to download the flyer with all the details. 

 Pre-K Social Skills Therapy Groups in January at Assential Therapy