Good News St. Paul Academy 1920 E. Washington Ave. Harlingen, Texas 78550 Office Phone 956-423-3926 Check us out on the Internet at www.stpaultexas.com or www.fastdir.com/stpaultexas April 4, 2014 2013-14 School Year Theme Knights for Christ Ephesians 6:11-18 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Tomorrow Harlingen Spring Litter Bash 9:30-11:30 AM Apr. 8 Softball vs. Guadalupe 4:30 PM Apr. 9-10 NLSA Accreditation Team Visit Apr. 9 School Chapel Service 9:10 AM Chinese Language Class 4:00 PM Apr. 10 Softball @ Kenmont 4:30 PM Apr. 11 Deadline for 2013-14 Yearbook Orders Kindergarten Graduation Picture 9:00 AM Apr. 17 Maundy Thursday Chapel Service 2:45 PM Apr. 18-21 Easter Break NO SCHOOL Apr. 24 Science Night of Family Fun 7:00 PM May 1 2014-15 Re-Enrollment Fee Payment Due ($250/child) May 2 Spring Musical and BBQ Fundraiser Prayer Walk Families for the week of Apr.5-11 Alejandro Torres Lauren Uribe Kaitlyn Uribe Richard Uribe From the Principal s Desk... During the decades prior to the American Civil War, enslaved African Americans tried a variety of ways and means to achieve their freedom from slavery. One individual, for example, named Henry Box Brown had himself packed into a wooden crate and shipped from Southern slavery in Richmond, Virginia to freedom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, despite his bold effort and best hopes, Henry was recaptured and returned to his slaveholder. Yes, even the most ingenious escapees were never assured of freedom. Through Adam and Eve, we too became slaves of sin. All their descendants live with the same insecurity: complete freedom from sin cannot be achieved by what is done or undone. Even a man such as the super-pharisee Saul could not break free from sin s grip. Even though he kept all the rules of the Pharisees to a tee and achieved a legalistic righteousness that was considered faultless by man, he still was not faultless in the eyes of God. After his conversion, St. Paul the apostle now was able to understand what true freedom from the slavery of sin and the fear of death was. True freedom was not something to be earned; rather it was a gift of God s free grace! Christ had fully and effectively set him free, for God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because of the suffering and death of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ, we are set free from sin, too! Still, we do not live in a vacuum. We are free not only from something, but we are free for something. By faith in Jesus Christ we are declared righteous. This means all our sins are forgiven and that we are a new creation in Christ. Because of Christ s death on the cross, our consequences are no longer fear and death; instead we are free to serve Him and others by doing works of righteousness. This is real freedom freedom that will last for eternity. Trying to run and hide from God won t work. Trying to earn our own righteousness is out of the question we could never be assured of real freedom if left to our own devises. We give thanks to God for personally proclaiming our emancipation from sin and effecting it Himself through the suffering and death of Jesus. On this freedom alone we can rely and live lives of freedom and service. In Christ s Service, James L. House, Principal
SPRING LITTER BASH... Keep Harlingen Beautiful and the City of Harlingen will hold its annual Spring Litter Bash tomorrow, April 5 th from 9:30-11:30 AM. The SPA National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) students are sponsoring our participation in this event. Our assigned area for work is Pendleton Park. Our group will meet at the park at 9:15 AM for distribution of t-shirts and necessary materials for the cleanup. If you d still like to work but didn t sign up earlier, it s not too late to join the fun (although late registrants will not receive shirts and lunch). Be Harlingen Proud join us tomorrow at the Spring Litter Bash. ACCREDITATION VISIT...On Wednesday thru Friday, April 9-11, a team of educators from several other Lutheran schools and district officials will visit St. Paul to conduct its 3-day observation and review of our school program and the various reports and collected materials as part of the process for National Lutheran School Accreditation. During this time, members of the visit team may likely visit with many of you during the morning and afternoon pick-up times. Please make these guests feel welcome to our school. REPORT CARD DISTRIBUTION...3rd quarter Student Report Cards were sent home earlier this week (on Wednesday) with your child. Hopefully you received it! If you do not receive a copy of your child s progress report, contact the teacher immediately. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child s 3 rd quarter progress, please contact your child s teacher to set up a conference. PTLS OFFICER NOMINATIONS...Last week we began the process of gathering names of persons interested in serving as St. Paul Academy Parents & Teachers in Lutheran Schools (PTLS) officers for the 2014-15 school year. This year, we will be electing all four officers: President, Vice President/President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. Nominations/volunteers will also be sought for several appointed positions as event/activity chairpersons. Consider the possibility of serving your Lord and the student, staff, and families of SPA by holding one of these important leadership positions. A second Nominations Sheet is coming home with today s newsletter. If you d like to nominate someone for these offices, or even nominate yourself, complete the Nomination Form and return it to the school office no later than Friday, April 11 th. The election of officers will be held via the Good News newsletter in mid-april. Prayerfully consider serving as a PTLS officer in 2014-15. KINDERGARTEN PICTURES...Attention, Kindergarten parents! A flyer is coming home today with information about Kindergarten Graduation Pictures that will be taken next Friday, April 11 th at 9:00 AM. Individual pictures will be taken of each child in a cap and gown, and proofs will be sent home at a later date for your purchasing approval. All necessary clothing for these special pictures will be provided by Texas Photography Solutions. Parents please make sure your child is groomed to your liking for this special, keepsake portrait! PARENT PAGES...Accompanying today s newsletter is a copy of Parent Pages, a resource for Christian parents in the 21 st Century made available to us from the School Ministry offices of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. This month s topic is: Caring for the Gift of Vision, a discussion of the importance of good vision and eye care for academic success. We encourage you to read this article and watch for these informative pages each month throughout the school year. Be sure to share the Parent Page with your friends, too! SPECIAL CHAPEL SERVICE... April 13-19 is Holy Week. As we focus and remember the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus, we will hold a special Maundy Thursday Chapel Service on Thursday, April 17 th at 2:45 PM. We encourage parents to come early for dismissal that day and join the students and faculty as we worship our God and give his praise for his atoning sacrifice for us. EASTER BREAK...With Holy Week and Easter just two weeks away, we remind all families that there will be no school on Friday (Good Friday), April 18 th and the following Monday (Easter Monday), April 21 st. Parents, please take note of this school closure and make your child care plans accordingly. If you desire child care at St. Paul Great Beginnings on April 21 st, contact Mrs. Dash at 956-425-6330 no later than Thursday, April 17 th. SCIENCE NIGHT COMING... Hey, Saints! The 2014 Science Night of Family Fun is just around the corner on Thursday, April 24 th. The students are busy working on their experiments and investigations for the event. Mark your calendars now and plan to join us for some family science fun on April 24 th!
ENROLLMENT FEES DUE...If you were one of the many St. Paul families who took advantage of the split payment of your 2014-15 Re- Enrollment Fee, remember that payment of the remaining balance is due on May 1 st. If for any reason you did not pay any part of your fee when you turned in the Re-Enrollment Form, your full payment is also due that day. Please keep this payment in mind as failure to pay this fee in full by May 1 st will affect your child s inclusion in the 2014-15 enrollment. On May 2 nd, the fee goes up to $350 per child so don t delay make full payment of your fee by the deadline date! Your cooperation is deeply appreciated! FINANCIAL AID FORMS AVAILABLE...Funds are available through the St. Paul Lutheran Grant-in-Aid/Financial Assistance Program to help SPA families pay the 2014-15 Tuition Fee. If you re interested in applying for a tuition grant, please complete the simple form available from the school office. Keep in mind a copy of your 2013 Income Tax Return Form 1040 and other applicable forms must accompany your financial aid application for your request to be considered. As always, it remains our desire that NO STUDENT OR FAMILY WOULD BE UNABLE TO ATTEND ST. PAUL ACADEMY DUE TO FINANCIAL CONCERNS. For more information concerning financial assistance, contact Mr. House. LENTEN SERVICES...Did you know that the season of Lent is one in which we begin to focus on the reason Christ came to earth to redeem us from eternal death by dying for our sins on the cross? And, did you know that many Christians have traditionally met on Wednesdays during Lent to worship and reflect upon this truth? St. Paul Lutheran Church will be holding weekly Lenten services on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM preceded by a Soup Supper at 6:00 PM. Consider joining the St. Paul Lutheran family for these weekly worship opportunities throughout the Lenten season. SPECIAL SCRIP CHALLENGE...To encourage more families to become regular Scrip shoppers, we re sponsoring a special Scrip Challenge during the month of April. The class that turns in the most Scrip order (highest $$ amount) each St. Paul Academy week will be treated to a Classroom Ice Cream Party courtesy of the St. Paul PTLS. This week s winning class was the 6 th grade. Remember, every Scrip card purchase benefits your students and our school. The new April Family Order Forms are coming home today; more are School Code is: available at the school office. And, as always, 1ALL427B37414 you can order Scrip cards online by visiting ShopWithScrip.com using the school code. Purchase your Scrip today and help your child s class earn an ice cream party! Saints Hot Lunch Menu Week of April 7-11 Monday Macho Nacho Cheese Sauce, Baked Tostitos Scoops, Brown Rice, Pinto Beans, Lettuce & Tomatoes Tuesday BBQ Chicken, Macaroni & Cheese, Sweet Potato Stix, Celery Stix, bread Wednesday Beef & Bean Burrito, Brown Rice, Baby Carrots, Broccoli Thursday Chicken Nuggets, Mashed Potatoes, Brown Gravy, Mixed Vegetables, bread Friday Hot Pockets, Jicama, Cucumbers, Ranch dressing, cookie All meals are served with fruit and a carton of 1% white or chocolate milk Ticket prices: K-8 students $3.50 per meal and 35 per extra milk (limit 2) (meals can be purchased on a monthly basis by placing funds on your Fast Direct lunch account) OFFERING PROJECT...During the 4 th quarter, our chapel offerings will go to support Lutheran Outdoor Ministry of Texas (LOMT) and Camp Lone Star in LaGrange. This week we collected $32.12. Our hope is to collect $600 during the next several weeks in support of this important ministry that shares God s Love with children and families throughout the year. Please remember your chapel offerings every Wednesday during the 4 th quarter for Camp Lone Star and LOMT! NO SCRIP NEXT WEEK...The Great Lakes Scrip offices are closed April 7-11; so no Scrip order will be placed next week. All orders received next week will be placed on April 15 th and will arrive for distribution on Thursday, April 17 th. Thanks for your orders and watch for your cards coming home before Easter Break!
YEARBOOK ORDER DEADLINE...Hey Saints! Have you orders your 2013-14 St. Paul Academy Yearbook yet? If not, do so next week! This year s hardcover book is gonna be awesome with pictures of all your memorable classmates, teachers, friends, and special events! The cost of the yearbook is $30; checks made payable to St. Paul Academy. But remember the deadline for ordering your special memory book is next Friday, April 11 th. Don t miss out order your yearbook today! SUMMER PROGRAM AT SPA...Again this summer, St. Paul Academy will offer several Summer Enrichment Experience (S.E.E.) courses for students entering grades 2-8. These week-long courses taught by our St. Paul staff and guest instructors cover a wide variety of interests. In addition to these classes, several summer sports camps will also be available. Watch for information about the S.E.E. St. Paul Summer Program 2014 coming home soon! VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL...at St. Paul Lutheran will be held the week of June 9-13 under the theme Gangway to Galilee Amazing Grace Adventures. Plan to join us for an exciting week of fun games, awesome music, incredible Bible stories, new friends, and time on the water with Jesus. Students ages 4 thru Grade 6 this fall can now register online at the St. Paul VBS website stpaultexas.com/news/vbs2014. We re also recruiting both youth and adult volunteers to help make our VBS program a huge success; fill out the volunteer form on the website! Get ready an Amazing Grace Adventure with Jesus! Sign up for VBS 2014 today! SPRING MUSICAL NEWS...Rehearsals are underway for the 2014 St. Paul Academy Spring Musical Barbecue for Ben, to be presented on Friday, May 2 nd. Along with the musical, we will be hosting a good, ole-fashioned Texas BBQ for all! Mark your calendars now, invite your relatives & friend, and plan to attend! And, watch for meal ticket information and Parent Volunteer Form coming soon. We ll need your help to make our event a huge success! SOFTBALL NEWS...The SPA Softball team split its games against St. Anthony this week, wining one and losing one. Next week, we play the final two games of our regular season: Tuesday, 4/8 vs. Guadalupe (at Calvary Chr. Field) @ 4:30 PM and Thursday, 4/10 @ Kenmonth (Gonalez Park) @ 4:30 PM. Come cheer our teams efforts next week. STOCK THE CART...During April, we are collecting Cleaning Items (dish soap, cleanser, sponges, etc) for the Harlingen Area Food Pantry as part of our Stock the Cart program. As always, your donations to Stock the Cart should be brought to the shopping cart located in the cafetorium. Thanks for supporting Stock the Cart in April. BOX TOPS NEWS...Hey, St. Paul families! Last week, we turned in 2557 box tops collected over the past several months profiting $255.70 for St. Paul Academy! Keep saving those box tops during the 4 th quarter and throughout the summer months as we get a head start on next year s collection. April collection sheets are available at the school office. Remember, each box top is worth 10 for our SPA kids. Encourage your relatives and friends to save for SPA, too. Thanks in advance for your support of our Easy Fund Raisers General Mills Box Tops for Education. ENROLLMENT UPDATE... As of today, we have 104 students officially enrolled at St. Paul Academy for next school year that s awesome! Applications are now available for new families who wish to enroll for the first time at St. Paul Academy in the 2014-15 school year. Several individuals have already completed applications for children in the Pre-Kindergarten class, and several families have toured and expressed interest in enrollment in the other grades. If you have a friend, relative, or neighbor who desires a quality, Christian education for their child, pass this word along and encourage them to enroll at St. Paul Academy. HELP US RECRUIT...The old adage, The best salesmen are satisfied customers, rings true when it comes to recruiting new students and families for our school. As an incentive for you to help us recruit new families, we are offering a "Tell-a-Friend" Referral Discount. By referring a new student to SPA, you will receive $200 off your 2014-15 tuition (once they enroll). Tell a friend, neighbor, relatives, or co-worker about St. Paul Academy for their children. Help us recruit and earn your discount today!
RECYCLING NEWS... Hey, Saints! We re still collecting recycled ink cartridges and old cell phones to send to Cartridges for Kids for cash. Each recyclable earns between 50 and $3.00 for SPA. Remember to keep saving those used ink jet cartridges, old cell phones, cameras, and other electronics for St. Paul Academy. Parents, check your place of business and see if they ll let you donate used cartridges for our school. Ask friends and neighbors, too. What a great way to help our environment and earn cash for St. Paul, too! The collection box is located outside the school office door to receive your donations. Save your recyclables today for St. Paul Academy and the Waste Management Cartridge for Kids collection program.