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Wolf Pack Press - April 15, 2026

  • 2 days ago
  • 4 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

We are approaching the busy spring season, with plenty of activities to participate in and volunteer for—the Plant Sale, Spring Carnival, Silent Auction, Running Club, Talent Show, and much more. Oh,and thanks to all who volunteered for the Literati Book Fair, where we made over $6700 in sales!



Upcoming Events




  • Friday, April 17 - Family Friday  (enjoy coffee and bring a pastry to share in cafeteria after drop-off)


  • Friday, April 17 - Shrek, Jr. performance - 6pm in cafeteria (see info below)


  • Tuesday, May 5 - Running Club Race Day! 2-4pm

​

  • Friday, May 8 - SPRING CARNIVAL! 5-7pm


  • Wednesday, May 13 & Thursday, May 14 - Plant Sale in Langford Park


Volunteer for the Plant Sale

 

There are many different ways to volunteer the week of the big plant sale!


The SAPSA Plant Tent Sale will be on Wednesday May 13th and Thursday May 14th, with help also needed on Tuesday May 12th to unload the delivery of plants and set up. 


Photo of the 2025 Plant Sale

There are plenty of ways to join in, and you don’t have to know a thing about plants to be a helping hand! Extended family members are welcome. Please take a quick peek at the Sign Up Genius to see how your family can pitch in! 



Thank you to all who ordered presale plants, and who are helping make this fundraiser a success! 

~ The Plant Sale Committee


Shrek, Jr. Is at SAP!


From Ms. Brandvik, our Performing Arts Specialist:


Cartoon image of kids performing a play

This week, 63 SAP students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will share their performance of Shrek, Jr. These students have rehearsed after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the EDL program.  This is an excellent opportunity for our students to explore musical theater, singing and dancing together in community. We share the joy of learning new music and making new friends.  Please join us this week in the cafeteria.


Performance dates: 

Thursday, April 16th at 8:00 am.  

(Kindergarten, First and Second Grade students to attend)

Friday, April 17th at 8:00 am 

(Third, Fourth and Fifth Grade students to attend.)

Friday, April 17th at 6:00 pm 

(This is open for friends and family.)


The performance is free to attend, but donations are accepted for the theater program: https://www.givemn.org/story/V5qmtf


Flyer for SAP Elementary silent auction

Silent Auction


"Sold!! And the highest bidder is..."


Get ready for the SAP Silent Auction! The auction will be April 20-30, and will feature over 50 bidable items, including experiences, gift cards, museum visits, toys, books and blankets.


It is an online-only auction; you can view and bid on items at https://www.32auctions.com/SAPSA2026.

List of items in the auction


Park Perks at Sunrise Bank


In March and April, the Park Perks coffee bar at Sunrise Bank will be raising donations for the  St. Anthony Park School Association.  All dollars raised when people stop for coffee/cookies will go to SAP Elementary. So stop by the bank for your morning cup o' joe!





Spring Carnival Volunteers Needed!


The Spring Carnival will be Friday, May 8, 5-7:30. It's great fun, and most of the school turns out with family, friends, and members of the community.


To run this important fundraiser, we need many volunteers!

Spring carnival image

The volunteer sign-up for games, crafts, food, setup and cleanup can be found here:


There is a separate sign-up sheet to bring items to the bake sale:


Thank you for making this important fundraiser possible!


A talent show act from 2025

Volunteers Needed for the Talent Show!


The great Saint Anthony Park Talent Show of 2026 is scheduled for Friday, May 15th!


We need a few volunteers to run the show. Here is a list of roles we need filled:

Sound

helping to run the PA

Stage Manager

on stage assisting performers

Performer Manager

out front, ushering performers from their seats to the backstage area

Backstage helpers

helping to usher performers through the backstage area with Emily

Name Tag Creator (stars)

printouts of performers' names to be taped to their assigned seats

Ushers/Performer Managers/General

helping pass out flyers, managing the auditorium area, and providing general assistance

Projector

running the power point of performers

Contact Kelly Weeks at saptalentshow@gmail.com if you are able to help out with the show!


Audition dates/times are TBD. Students can sign up to audition for the talent show at this link:



Picture of hoodies in Lost & Found

Last Call for Lost & Found


Clothing and other items in our overflowing Lost & Found (located by the stairs near the cafeteria) need to be retrieved by their owners by May 29, so please stop by to search for your lost hats, hoodies, mittens, scarves, coats and other accessories.


Unclaimed items will be donated.



Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books for an hour during the school week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE .






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


 
 
 

Wolf Pack Press - April 1, 2026

  • Apr 1
  • 5 min read

Happy April Fools' Day! Can you spot the invented story in this edition of the Wolf Pack Press?



Upcoming Events



  • Tuesday, March 31 - Friday, April 3 - Literati Book Fair (more info below)


  • Wednesday, April 1 - Friday, April 3 - Spring conferences


  • Friday, April 3 - NO SCHOOL - Conferences


  • Week of April 6-10 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break!


  • Tuesday, April 14 - Advisory Council (5:30-6:30) & SAPSA Meeting (6:30-7:30) in school library


  • April 17 - Family Friday  (enjoy coffee and bring a pastry to share in cafeteria after drop-off)


SAPSA Plant Presale!

 

Order plants online now for the SAPSA Plant Sale fundraiser!


You will find annual flowers, native shrubs, hanging baskets, and herbs.


All proceeds support school field trips, artists in residence, and classroom supplies. 



Timeline: The online presale runs through April 11


Order pick up: Tuesday, May 12, from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm, Langford Park Recreation Center


After placing an order, please select a pickup time slot via the following link: 


We encourage you to share the presale link with family, friends, and neighbors.  

Have fun picking out bright, happy colors to brighten your garden!


For questions regarding the presale, please contact Sarah Clark at (612) 501-9895 or Sarah.cr.clark@gmail.com


Thank you for supporting the Plant Sale and St. Anthony Park Elementary! 


~ The Plant Sale Committee



Literati Book Fair


The Book Fair is happening in the library this week, so don't miss out!


Here are the dates and times the fair is open:


  • 3/31. During morning drop-off (7:15AM-8AM)

  • 4/1. During morning drop-off (7:15AM-8AM) and afternoon conferences (3PM-7PM)

  • 4/2 . During morning drop-off (7:15AM-8AM) and afternoon conferences (3PM-7PM)

  • 4/3. During morning conferences (8AM-12PM)


You can purchase gift cards for your students and buy books from teacher wishlists at the online store.


A big THANK YOU to volunteers who have been running the book fair this week!



UFO Seen Over SAP Elementary


An unidentified flying object was spotted on a recent March evening hovering over SAP Elementary. Witnesses included a pedestrian walking his dog, two kids playing at the Langford Park Rec Center, and Ms. Krider, who had taken a long nap to recover from the 2nd Grade field trip to Como Zoo.


Photo taken by doorbell security camera
Photo taken by doorbell security camera

According to the Air Force, no experimental or military craft was flying in the St. Anthony Park area at the time. A NORAD spokesperson suggested the craft could have been a toy drone, a weather balloon, or the moon.


The UFO hovered over the school for perhaps two minutes, and then "simply vanished," according to one resident.


Principal Hutcheson was seen exiting the building shortly after the event, and when told of it "seemed to be acting strangely, as if in a daze," according to the dog walker, who wished to remain anonymous.


Ms. Wilson reported that some equipment in the Science Room was "acting weird," and small glowing balls have been seen rolling about the school. If anyone has further information about the UFO sighting, please contact the Wolf Pack Press!



Park Perks at Sunrise Bank


In March and April, the Park Perks coffee bar at Sunrise Bank will be raising donations for the  St. Anthony Park School Association.  All dollars raised when people stop for coffee/cookies will go to SAP Elementary. So stop by the bank for your morning cup o' joe!




Be Part of the SAP Silent Auction!


From the desk of Renee Pinkey, Silent Auction Organizer:


Hello St. Anthony Park Families,


Get ready for the St. Anthony Park School Association (SAPSA) Silent Auction, which will be held online from April 20 - April 30, 2026!


We know many of our families would love to help support our school through donations! The money raised from this auction will go directly towards enrichment programs, community events, and classroom materials.


Your donation can be anything you think our school community would enjoy. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • A homemade item from a hobby you enjoy

  • A gift card or service from your employer

  • Tickets to a local sporting event or concert

  • A themed gift basket (e.g., "movie night," "spa day")

  • Services like babysitting, tutoring, or a home-cooked meal


If you can make a donation, please contact me to arrange drop-off or pick-up. The donation deadline is Friday, April 10, 2026.


Sincerely,

Renee Pinkney



Spring Carnival Activities Lead Needed


SAPSA is looking for the Activities lead for our Spring Carnival—which is really coming up fast! This year the carnival will be May 8th from 5-7pm.


This is an important spring fundraiser and also loads of fun!


Here is the (very supported) lead role we're trying to fill:


Before carnival:

  • Create/plan/gather materials for Carnival activities for attendees to participate in for a ticket cost. Past activities: face paint, hair chalk, tattoos, karaoke, photo booth, hair tinsel

  • Arrange dunk tank and bounce house delivery.

  • Find staff who are willing to be dunked!


On Carnival Day:

  • Arrive early to set up activities supplies

  • Monitor volunteers running activities stations

  • Oversee clean up of activities after Carnival



Wanted: Editor for the Wolf Pack Press!



In the following months, SAPSA will be looking for the next editor of the Wolf Pack Press, to begin duties next fall. This is a critical job for SAPSA and SAP Elementary; the WPP spreads the word about fundraising events and special dates at school (especially those NO SCHOOL days!). It also gives parents and others a glimpse into the vibrant scene that is SAP Elementary.


If you have a knack for writing and basic web literacy, please consider offering your talents as the editor for the Wolf Pack Press. It is a part-time gig that can easily fit in with a full time job. It is the opposite of many volunteer positions at SAP Elementary: rather than a few days or weeks of frenzied activity, the WPP only requires two to three hours in any given week—but it lasts the entire school year.

As Wolf Pack Press Editor, your main duties would be:

  • Monitor email (communications@sapsamn.org) and communicate with school staff and SAPSA members as needed to get information. Different groups email you content if they want their particular event mentioned in the WPP.

  • Lay out and publish the Wolf Pack Press every other week during the school year. We use a website tool called Wix that allows us to publish a new edition of the WPP as a blog entry. Some technical minutia can be challenging, but you don't have to know HTML or anything as crazy as that.

  • Attend SAPSA board meetings every month during the school year and share topics related to the WPP. The Wolf Pack Press editor is a voting board member.

  • Post to social media (Facebook & Instagram) on occasion. Other SAPSA members can also do posts.

  • Take photos for the WPP. I have leveraged the talents of some amateur photographers amongst us to take pictures at the Spring Carnival, Fall Festival etc.

  • Occasionally update the main page at sapsamn.org. I update the event dates there every few weeks.


Full training would be provided by me this spring, before handing the torch on to you.


If interested, please email me (Joel Van Valin) at communications@sapsamn.org or reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Lauren Cox (volunteercoordinator@sapsamn.org).



Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books for an hour during the school week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE .















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

 
 
 

Wolf Pack Press - March 18, 2026

  • Mar 18
  • 5 min read

Updated: Mar 19

Hope you enjoyed your snow day and had a jolly St. Pat's!



Upcoming Events



  • Friday, March 20 - NO SCHOOL - Conference Prep


  • Friday, March 27 - School Spirit Day - Beach Day!


  • Tuesday, March 31 - Friday, April 3 - Literati Book Fair (more info below)


  • Wednesday, April 1 - Friday, April 3 - Spring conferences


  • Friday, April 3 - NO SCHOOL - Conferences


  • Week of April 6-10 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break!


Literati Book Fair



Books purchased through the store raise money for the school. You can also purchase gift cards for your kiddos to use at the in person book fair, and books from teachers' wishlists.


Reminder to teachers: if there are books you want for the classroom, please compile a wishlist using the Literati invite you were sent.


The in-person fair will be in the library during spring conferences. The dates/times it will be open are:


  • 3/31. During morning drop-off (7:15AM-8AM)

  • 4/1. During morning drop-off (7:15AM-8AM) and afternoon conferences (3PM-7PM)

  • 4/2 . During morning drop-off (7:15AM-8AM) and afternoon conferences (3PM-7PM)

  • 4/3. During morning conferences (8AM-12PM)


If you are able to volunteer for the in-person fair at any of the dates & times above, please sign up HERE!



SAPSA Plant Presale!


Dream of spring and order plants online now to support school fundraising efforts! 


You can now order a selection of plants online for our big SAPSA Plant Sale fundraiser!  

There are flats of plants, colorful hanging baskets, and native shrubs. 


All proceeds support school field trips, artists in residence, and classroom supplies. 


Timeline: The online presale runs through April 11

Order pick up: 

Tuesday, May 12, from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Langford Park Recreation Center


After placing an order, please select a pickup time slot via the following link: 


We encourage you to share the presale link with family, friends, and neighbors! 

Have fun ordering and envisioning your garden as the snow melts!


For questions regarding the presale, please contact Sarah Clark at (612) 501-9895 or Sarah.cr.clark@gmail.com


Thank you for supporting the Plant Sale and St. Anthony Park Elementary! 


~ The Plant Sale Committee


Dine Out @ Nico's 3/24


Dine at Nico's Tacos from 4-9pm on Tuesday, March 24 to help raise money for SAP Elementary! Nico's is located in Milton Square (corner of Como & Carter).



Park Perks at Sunrise Bank


In March and April, the Park Perks coffee bar at Sunrise Bank will be raising donations for the  St. Anthony Park School Association.  All dollars raised when people stop for coffee/cookies will go to SAP Elementary. So stop by the bank for your morning cup o' joe!




Be Part of the SAP Silent Auction!


From the desk of Renee Pinkey, Silent Auction Organizer:


Hello St. Anthony Park Families,


Get ready for the St. Anthony Park School Association (SAPSA) Silent Auction, which will be held online from April 20 - April 30, 2026!


We know many of our families would love to help support our school through donations! The money raised from this auction will go directly towards enrichment programs, community events, and classroom materials.


Your donation can be anything you think our school community would enjoy. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • A homemade item from a hobby you enjoy

  • A gift card or service from your employer

  • Tickets to a local sporting event or concert

  • A themed gift basket (e.g., "movie night," "spa day")

  • Services like babysitting, tutoring, or a home-cooked meal


If you can make a donation, please contact me to arrange drop-off or pick-up. The donation deadline is Friday, April 10, 2026.


Sincerely,

Renee Pinkney



Spring Carnival Volunteer Leads Needed


SAPSA is looking for Activities and Raffle leads for our Spring Carnival. This is an important spring fundraiser and also loads of fun! This year the carnival will be May 8th from 5-7pm.


The leads will work with our Spring Festival coordinator, Sathiya Karthikeyan, to plan and put on the fair.


Here are the (very supported) lead roles we're trying to fill:


Activities Lead

Before carnival:

  • Create/plan/gather materials for Carnival activities for attendees to participate in for a ticket cost. Past activities: face paint, hair chalk, tattoos, karaoke, photo booth, hair tinsel

  • Arrange dunk tank and bounce house delivery.

  • Find staff who are willing to be dunked!


On Carnival Day:

  • Arrive early to set up activities supplies

  • Monitor volunteers running activities stations

  • Oversee clean up of activities after Carnival



Raffle Lead

Before Carnival:

  • Seek donations for raffle items and create an Amazon Wish list with desired items for a raffle. 


On Carnival Day:

  • Set out raffle items in the peace garden with collection bags for tickets

  • Announce raffle winners at the end of carnival




Ever Wanted to Be an Editor?


This spring will see the end of my two-year appointment as editor of the Wolf Pack Press. Editing this newsletter has been an awesome experience, and I'll really miss putting out this bi-weekly publication. (The WPP always seemed to somehow miraculously assemble itself with only a little coaxing from me.) It allowed me, a fairly introverted guy, to get to know the school much better and interact with the students, staff and parents of SAP Elementary.


In the following months, SAPSA will be looking for the next editor of the Wolf Pack Press, to begin duties next fall. This is a critical job for SAPSA and SAP Elementary; the WPP spreads the word about fundraising events and special dates at school (especially those NO SCHOOL days!). It also gives parents and others a glimpse into the vibrant scene that is SAP Elementary.


If you have a knack for writing and basic web literacy, please consider offering your talents as the editor for the Wolf Pack Press. It is a part-time gig that can easily fit in with a full time job. It is the opposite of many volunteer positions at SAP Elementary: rather than a few days or weeks of frenzied activity, the WPP only requires two to three hours in any given week—but it lasts the entire school year.

As Wolf Pack Press Editor, your main duties would be:

  • Monitor email (communications@sapsamn.org) and communicate with school staff and SAPSA members as needed to get information. Different groups email you content if they want their particular event mentioned in the WPP.

  • Lay out and publish the Wolf Pack Press every other week during the school year. We use a website tool called Wix that allows us to publish a new edition of the WPP as a blog entry. Some technical minutia can be challenging, but you don't have to know HTML or anything as crazy as that.

  • Attend SAPSA board meetings every month during the school year and share topics related to the WPP. The Wolf Pack Press editor is a voting board member.

  • Post to social media (Facebook & Instagram) on occasion. Other SAPSA members can also do posts.

  • Take photos for the WPP. I have leveraged the talents of some amateur photographers amongst us to take pictures at the Spring Carnival, Fall Festival etc.

  • Occasionally update the main page at sapsamn.org. I update the event dates there every few weeks.


Full training would be provided by me this spring, before handing the torch on to you.


So if you are interested in taking the reins of the Wolf Pack, please email me (Joel Van Valin) at communications@sapsamn.org or reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Lauren Cox (volunteercoordinator@sapsamn.org).



Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books for an hour during the school week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE .















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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