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  • 3 days ago
  • 6 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Just two-and-a-half weeks till summer vacation!!

Upcoming Events



  • Friday, May 23 - School spirit day: Rainbow Day!


  • Friday, May 23 - School Picnic


  • Monday, May 26 - NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)


  • Thursday, May 29 - Field Day (grades K-2)


  • Friday, May 30 - Field Day (grades 3-5)



School Picnic


A much-loved tradition at St. Anthony Park School is our school and family PICNIC. Friday, May 23, from 10:00-12:30 PM. All families are invited to join your student for lunch outside in the park. Guests can purchase lunch for $5.00, and the menu will include hamburgers, chips, vegetables, and a sweet dessert treat. All students may choose to have a free school lunch that day, just like regular days. Here is the schedule for each grade level's picnic time:


  • Nature Pre-K

  • Kindergarten 10:15-10:45

  • 1st Grade 12:00-12:30

  • 2nd Grade 11:40-12:10

  • 3rd Grade 10:00-10:30

  • 4th Grade 11:05-11:35

  • 5th Grade 10:45-11:15





Field Day


Field Days are coming! K-2 will have their field day on Thursday, May 29th and 3rd-5th grades will have their field day on Friday, May 30th.   Both field days will be from 11:00am to 1:50pm.


All students will be participating in 10 game stations and relay races with their classroom. Please email Ms. Paulsen at karen.paulsen@spps.org if you would like the volunteer!



Recaps


Spring Carnival


Spring Carnival was a smashing success and a grand old time


Thanks to all the amazing volunteers who showed up on carnival day to transform the lawn into a wonderland and to run games, activities, serve food, sit in the dunk tank, and help at the raffle!  The carnival raised $9,400!


A really big shout out to all the carnival leads this year for making the event a reality: 

Sathiya and Breanna: Carnival Co-organizers

JoAnna: Volunteer Coordinator

Jared and Ashley: Games Leads

Jason: Raffle

Laura and Andrew: Food Team Leads 

Sarah: Activity Coordinator

Marty and David:  Karaoke DJs

Anita and Lauren: Bake Sale 


Here are some pictures from the carnival (all photos by Katherine Warde, who , by the way, also took the group photo above).













Plant Sale


Thank you to Anita, Lauren, Sarah, Michael, and Anne for their tireless work at the plant sale this year!  The many plants sold in the pre-sale and at the tent sale raised $11,982 for SAPSA!  Thanks to those of you who came out to buy plants and volunteer at the sale!


And special thanks to Sweet Fruci's ice cream truck, who donated 30% if their proceeds during the Plant Sale to SAPSA.



Silent Auction


A HUGE thank you to Renee for doing all the organization and leg work this year, again, on the Silent Auction!  There were MANY great goodies and experiences for auction.  Thanks to all of you who found a treasure for your financial support of SAPSA.  We raised $4,114.



Dine Out at Nico's


We are SO grateful for our neighborhood partnerships, including Nico's Tacos.  They generously donated $777 to SAPSA at our last dine out!   It was fabulous to see so many SAP Elementary families picking up food or eating in while supporting a local business.  



Running Club Race Day


Race Day this year was in the 80s, but nonetheless our runners finished the mile race with style & panache! Thanks to Ms. Paulsen for running the Running Club!


Top Finishers - Girls

Top Finishers - Boys

Zeynep

Mai-Yah

Mikaela

Selah

Norah

Carolina

Margot

Ruby

Ada

Dafna

Eleanor

Olive

Ingrid Bridget Adeline

Alex

Jack

Eloy

Mark

Julian

August

Ben

Drew

Charley

Keagan

Cody

Aris

Wyatt

Felix Caleb











Talent Show


Thanks to everyone who entertained us at the Talent Show!!










Happy Trails, Ms. Maas!


Guess what? Ms. Maas is retiring! SAP Elementary will miss this beloved First grade teacher, who is always there to greet students in the halls—and sometimes dance with them! Ms. Maas's last homework assignment was this interview with the Wolf Pack Press.


How many years have you taught at St. Anthony Park elementary, and what grades?

I have been teaching at SAP for 12 years and I have taught in Sixth grade for one-year, Social Studies for three years in the portable classroom that no longer exists, and the rest of the time I have spent in First grade.

 

Did you like school when you were a girl?

I have always loved school. I have had some amazing teachers throughout my life time and I do a lot of things in my classroom that emulates what they have done for me. I was always at an after-school function, participating in extra curricular activities. I was on the student council, in band, on the yearbook committee, I was a cheerleader, played softball. Anything that I could do at school I did and honestly if I could have slept at school, I would have done that too. I hope that you have seen the passion and joy that I have for teaching with some of the silly characters that I have dressed up as or the silly national holidays that I have celebrated In my classroom. I will miss challenging the students on spirit days!

 

Did you always want to be a teacher?

I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher. When I was very small, I would come home from Sunday School and line up all my stuffed animals on the couch and teach them the lesson I heard that morning. My uncle/godfather is a teacher, my cousins are teachers; it is a family business. My uncle is also a golf coach and I am also a coach.

 

What is your favorite book and movie?

My favorite book(s) is the Twilight Series and my favorite movie series is most definitely Harry Potter hands down!

 

Any special plans for retirement?

I am first and foremost going to spend as much time with my mother as I can. If I can give any advice, it would be to hold onto and love your family as much as you can while they are still with you.

I am also going to spend a lot of time at Disney and Universal Studios. I would like to travel to London and see the beginnings of Winnie the Pooh and take the Harry Potter tour. There is a cruise that I would like to take to the Greek Isles as well for my 60th birthday next year.

Most of my time will be spent at the John Rose Oval in Roseville, MN as a skating coach. Some of you may or may not know that I am also a professional figure skater and this will be my full-time job in retirement. So, if you want to come and see me, stop by the oval and we can go skating together.

 

What is the furthest away you've ever traveled?

Switzerland is the farthest away that I have been from home and was blessed to stay in the Alps when I was there. What a beautiful country and the chocolate was pretty good too.

 

What will you miss most about SAP Elementary?

I will miss my kids! Just thinking about saying goodbye to them tugs on my heart strings. I will also miss the families of SAP. You have all been so good to me and when I applied to this school, I said this is where I want to retire and here we are today.  Thank you is just not enough to say to a community that I have seen rally around the staff here and build us up under some extremely tough situations over the years.

 

Any parting advice you'd like to share with us?

As a teacher I will speak frankly, my courageous conversations that I often have with people, it is not always our fault when things go awry. Remember that we have lives outside of this building and sometimes it gets really hard to manage home life and school life. Always go to the teacher first when you have any issues. Establish that parent/teacher relationship that is so important for your child. Work together with your child’s teacher. Be present, volunteer in the classroom, be vigilant about your child’s education. I am sorry but we cannot do this alone we need your help and guidance. Teach your kids to be compassionate toward one another so that they can have life-long friendships. Life is hard, we make mistakes, and that is how we grow and learn from each other. I will miss you SAP and the families that have made this community fun for me to come back to every year. I hope to see you out and about within the community and I would be more than happy to volunteer for events and or tutor for anyone that has a need.

Your truly forever, Ms. Maas




Lost & Found


Please check the Lost & Found and claim any sweatshirts, coats, snow pants, hats, mittens, and other clothes before Friday, June 6.


Anything that isn't claimed by the 6th will be donated.



Spirit Wear


Rep your favorite elementary school! T-shirts ($20/kid, and $22/adult) and school signs ($10) are available for pre-order now. Email president@sapsamn.org for preorders. Or, look for in-person sales at school events.




Have a great week, Wolf Pack!

If you have suggestions for content or questions about anything in the Wolf Pack Press, please reach out to Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org

 
 
 

See you all at the Spring Carnival on Friday!



Upcoming Events



  • May 5-9 - Teacher Appreciation Week!


  • Friday, May 9 - SPRING CARNIVAL (5 - 7:30pm)


  • Tuesday, May 13 - Running Club Race Day


  • Tuesday, May 13 - Advisory Council (5:30 - 6:30) and SAPSA Meeting (6:30 - 7:30) in school library


  • Wednesday-Thursday, May 14-15 - Plant Sale at Langford Park


  • Friday, May 16 - Talent Show (more info below)



Spring Carnival


The Spring Carnival is almost here! It will be Friday, May 9th from 5-7:30 pm.  So come on down and enjoy the games, bounce house, dunk tank, face paint, food for purchase, bake sale, and oodles of FUN!  


We still have LOTS of volunteer spots open for help at the Spring Carnival! Hula toss, food service, face paint, obstacle course, and more!  We need YOU to volunteer!  This super special celebration of spring can't happen without lots of adult/teen help to make the party a success for our elementary kids.  Claim your spot today by signing up here


The bake sale has its own signup.


See you at the carnival!




Plant Sale


The SAP Elementary plant sale will be May 14-15 at Langford Park, and we are in desperate need of volunteers. Sign up to volunteer here.


We are counting on our school community to help ensure this sale is successful! There are plenty of ways to help, so don't be scared off if you aren't a plant person, some of the jobs are just heavy lifting. We offer on the job training. Please note that we need volunteers on May 13th for the presale event as well, such as helping with unload of plant delivery and organizing the sale.




Talent Show


FRIDAY, May 16th at 6:00 p.m. at Murray Middle School


SAP Elementary is chalk-full of talent, and EVERYONE is welcome to spectate at this spectacular event!


Performers should show up before 5:45 and have assigned seating. Performers who are in grades K-2 need to return to and sit with their families after their performance.



On the Stage


We have had a busy spring of class performances! Below, Ms. Brandvik with a Kindergarten class production of "Who's in Rabbit's House?", and a 2nd Grade class who leaned West African drumming and dancing thanks to a SAPSA-sponsored Artist in Residence program.






Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books. Hour-long time slots are available most days of the week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE.




Spirit Wear


Rep your favorite elementary school! T-shirts ($20/kid, and $22/adult) and school signs ($10) are available for pre-order now. Email president@sapsamn.org for preorders. Or, look for in-person sales at school events.




Have a great week, Wolf Pack!

If you have suggestions for content or questions about anything in the Wolf Pack Press, please reach out to Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org

 
 
 

Updated: Apr 24

This issue is jam-packed with spring activities—running club, talent show, plant sale, silent auction—and of course the Spring Carnival!



Upcoming Events



  • Friday, April 25 - School Spirit Day - Hat Day!


  • May 5-9 - Teacher Appreciation Week!


  • Friday, May 9 - Spring Carnival (more info below)


  • Wednesday-Thursday, May 14-15 - Plant Sale at Langford Park


  • Thursday, May 15 - Running Club Race Day


  • Friday, May 16 - Talent Show (more info below)


Matilda


Thanks to our student thespians for putting on "Matilda". The whole school enjoyed your performance!


(Photos by Katherine Warde)




Running Club


Every spring St. Anthony Park elementary school hosts a running club for 1st - 5th grade students. Last over 200 students were members of running club!!!


The club meets after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning April 24th and trains to run a one-mile race.  The last day of running club, May 13th is RACE DAY!  All are welcome to cheer on our runners at the race. 

 

The fastest 15 girls and 15 boys will each receive medals! Every racer earns a finishers t-shirt for participating in the race. 


Please email Ms. Paulsen (karen.paulsen@spps.org) if you have time to help set up on practice days.  Set up takes about 10-15 minutes before practice starts at 2pm.  




Silent Auction


Step right up!  Step right up!  The SAP Elementary online auction is live now and ends on Friday April 25. Get your online bids in to score the most amazing gift cards, products, and experiences. 


Go to https://www.32auctions.com/SAP2025 to find some great deals.  Every penny spent goes to fund initiatives at the school supported by SAPSA!





Dexter's Corner


Hello! It's me, Dexter Jr., the guinea pig who lives in Ms. Wilson's science classroom!


I just wanted to say how much I love seeing my students every day. Also, I love my veg! I particularly love to eat carrots and cucumbers from the lunch room. Ms. Wilson tells me I make the best squeaking noises when I know it's lunchtime!


Also, I have a new best friend now—and he is a wolf! His name is Frost and he actually got to be principal for a day, because I guess my students spent a lot of time reading books about guinea pigs ... and other things. Books are great, but personally I prefer nibbling timothy hay. Anyway, when Frost commanded an extra recess that day ... actually that was my idea!


Oh, I did want to mention one more thing, and it's important. And that is: SUMMER VACATION!

Over the summer, my school will be closed, and so I'll need some families to host me and my cage. If you would like to be one of those happy families and host me for a while over the summer, or have any questions about me possibly being your guest, please email my wonderful human Ms. Wilson at jodie.wilson@spps.org.


See you in science class!



Spring Carnival


The trees are budding, which means spring is here!  Spring carnival is just around the corner on May 9th from 5-7:30 pm.  This is a major fundraising event  featuring a dunk tank, food for purchase, carnival games, face paint, karaoke, a bouncy house, bake sale, and oodles of FUN!  


We need around 150 volunteers to make this event a success: serving food, facilitating games, painting faces, taking tickets, operating the bounce house, and supervising the dunk tank.  Your children are welcome to help you volunteer.   Sign up here to claim your spot! 


See you at the carnival!




Food and Bake Sale


Got a big cooler or grill to spare? We need you!  


Hey awesome students and families!  If you have a large cooler (the kind that can chill a bunch of drinks!), or a grill (the kind that turns hot dogs into magic!), we'd love to borrow it for the big carnival! If you can lend either of these items, please reach out to Laura and Andy Gillott by Friday, May 2 (laura.a.gillott@gmail.com, 651.279.3060)


Bake sale sign up: 



Prizes and Raffle Item Signups


You an also help out the carnival by donating raffle items or prizes:



Prizes amazon wishlist:



Plant Sale


Thanks to all who purchased plants at the presale in April!


Save the date for the tent sale: May 14-15 at Langford Park.



Talent Show


We think YOU have talent!!!


It’s that time of year! Talent Show time! All SAP Elementary students are invited and encouraged to participate in this community-building event on...


FRIDAY, May 16th at 6:00 p.m. at Murray Middle School


All types of talent are needed: poetry reading, jokes, juggling, singing, instrument-playing, dancing, jump rope, hula-hooping, yo-yo-ing, magic, and ON and ON. For a list of what is NOT acceptable (including guidance around song choices), please visit: https://saptalentshow.wixsite.com/saptalentshow


Students wishing to participate MUST complete the online registration before their audition day no later than May 5th. Friendly, non-competitive auditions are held DURING SCHOOL May 5th-9th. There are no “makeup” auditions.


We are looking for volunteers to coordinate with Kelly Weeks, who is graciously taking the lead in making this year's talent show an entertaining and memorable event. Follow the link HERE to volunteer.


Questions? Email saptalentshow@gmail.com


Wanted: SAPSA Photographer


SAPSA is looking for an SAP Elementary parent or other community member to be our staff photographer. The photographer would attend school events (like the Spring Carnival) and take photos to be used in the Wolf Pack Press, SPPS website, school yearbook, and more.


If you have a knack for photography and would like to volunteer some of your valuable time, please contact Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org.




Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books. Hour-long time slots are available most days of the week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE.




Spirit Wear


Rep your favorite elementary school! T-shirts ($20/kid, and $22/adult) and school signs ($10) are available for pre-order now. Email president@sapsamn.org for preorders. Or, look for in-person sales at school events.




Have a great week, Wolf Pack!

If you have suggestions for content or questions about anything in the Wolf Pack Press, please reach out to Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org

 
 
 
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