An update to all currently enrolled families at St. Pius X Regional School: 

Applications for new PreK3, PreK4 & Kindergarten students will open on Thursday, November 7, 2024.  The application can be found on the St. Pius website under the tab "Admissions".  
All applications will be entered electronically through the TADS Admission Services. 

The age requirement for Pre-K 3 is 3 by September 1, 2025  (Born before 9/1/2022)
The age requirement for Pre-K 4 is 4 by September 1, 2025  (Born before 9/1/2021)
The age requirement for Kindergarten is 5 by September 1, 2025 (Born before
9/1/2020)

2025-2026 Archdiocese of Washington Tuition Assistance Program:
 

The application window for ADW tuition assistance is now open.  The deadline for Elementary School tuition assistance is Friday, February 21, 2025.  This is for students in Pre-K-8th grade.

Archdiocesan Tuition Assistance Program - Archdiocese of Washington Catholic Schools 

Families Helping Families is an opportunity for you and your classmates to help others this Thanksgiving.  SPX Parish will be distributing Thanksgiving Baskets to families who are in need of assistance.  The mission serves St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Largo, Assumption Parish in S.E. Washington and the Bowie Interfaith Pantry.  Please see the attached flyer for more details.

PreK 3      1 REUSABLE PLASTIC grocery bag with cardboard insert 

for the bottom

PreK 4A/4B  4 cans of vegetables (about 15oz. can)/student 

KA/KB         1 can of cranberry sauce
1A/B            1 can of sweet potatoes / yams

2A/B            1 can of fruit

3A/B            1 box/package of muffin mix (corn, bran, blueberry or similar) 

4A/B            1 box cake mix
5A/B            1 can of frosting

Ascension House         2 cans (10-12 oz. each) or 2 packages of gravy mix 

                                     No jars, please!

Sacred Heart House    1 large box of instant potatoes (about 26 oz. each)

St. Edward’s House     1 48-64 oz plastic bottle of juice (punch, apple, etc.)

St. Pius House             2 large boxes of complete stuffing mix (ex. Stove 

Top - 6 oz each)        

  

Faculty/Staff         

Chip in with your grade partners! $15 check made out to "St. Pius"

in an envelope labeled Families Helping Families. 

Please limit your purchases to the list provided.

Over the years we have found that many donors like to add something extra to the “’basket” (Thanksgiving napkins, coffee /tea, a bag of candy, etc.). If you choose to do that just remember that everything when delivered to the church must fit into one single reusable grocery bag.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

As per tradition at St. Pius X Regional School, we will once again collect toys for Toys for Tots.  We are asking each family to send in one (or more) brand new unwrapped toy(s).  The toys will be collected by officers from our County Police department.  We will begin collecting new and unwrapped toys on Monday, November 11, 2024 through Wednesday, December 11, 2024.  Please help support this very important and meaningful cause.

Now that the temperatures have consistently turned colder, please be reminded to send your child (children) to school each day with appropriate outerwear (winter coat, hat, scarf, gloves as needed for the temperature that day, etc.).  All uniform pieces and winter clothing should be legibly marked with the name of your child.  

If your child loses a piece of uniform or winter clothing, lost and found bins are located in the middle school wing and third and fourth grade hallway.  Parents may search through the lost and found bins after regular dismissal.

Our second General HSA Meeting of the year will be held on Monday, November 18 at 7 pm VIRTUALLY.  The link will be shared that day via email.  All parents/guardians are invited to attend to hear updates from Ms. Gillespie and school organizations and events.  As an incentive to attend, the Homeroom with the highest percentage of parent/guardian attendance will be awarded a pizza party and the CAT Trophy.  We look forward to seeing you and working with you this school year!

Please be reminded that parents are not permitted to record or take pictures of St. Pius X students, parents, or faculty without their permission.

Paraclete Book Fair November 11-15, 2024:

Ms. Neitzey is excited to offer a selection of Catholic books from Paraclete Press for order from November 11-15. There are wonderful titles for Toddlers, K-2nd Grade, 3rd-5th Grade, and Parents/Teachers!   Please send in your order by Friday, November 15th. Remember, books make an awesome Christmas gift! 

GRANDPARENTS AND SPECIAL GUESTS DAY

St. Pius X Annual Grandparents and Special Guests Day will be held on Friday, November 22nd for all 3rd graders. This is a large event and a wonderful tradition at SPX. To ensure that students and their special guests have a great time, we ask that you please consider donating from our list of needed items for this event.

This is an event where donated items count towards your VSP hours, so this is a great opportunity to get those hours in!

We appreciate your generosity and thank you in advance for your support! If there are any questions or concerns, please reach out to Katie Summers at katie.mason.summers@gmail.com. 

Food & Decor SignUp Genius Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0944A4A82AA1FE3-52241751-theannual#/

Here are a couple of things to keep an eye out for at the school from the Green Team: 

-We hope you enjoy our Green Kindness Garden as it blossoms and grows through the seasons each time you enter the school's lobby.  Take some time to pay extra attention to the Kindness rocks that the Kindness club added to the garden!

-Check out The Green Team bulletin board across from the library for information about the green team and Green events that are going on.

SPX Green Team Christmas Lights Recycling Collection (November 2024 through January 2025)    Please bring in your old/not working Christmas lights and the Green Team will take them to be recycled!!!  Look for the decorated bin (see image below) in the front lobby!

All SPX Regional School Families are invited to join us for a Family Bingo Night on Friday, November 15 in Nelson Hall. Prizes include gift cards, family-themed baskets and more!  The doors open at 6 pm with Bingo beginning at 6:30 pm.
Tickets are $10 each (adults and kids) and includes 12 rounds of Bingo plus a raffle ticket for a door prize. Additional raffle tickets will be on sale that evening - 1 for $2 or 3 for $5. CASH ONLY.  Bingo daubers will also be on sale for $1 each.

Pizza ordering has now closed - no pizza will be on sale the night of.  You can bring your own dinner, drinks or snacks! No alcoholic beverages as children are present.

Get your tickets at https://bit.ly/familybingotickets
Want to help make this event a success and get some VSP hours?  Sign up to volunteer at https://bit.ly/familybingovolunteer

SANTA NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Dear SPX Families,

As we prepare for our upcoming Christmas Bazaar, we’re reaching out to ask for your support in making this event a success!

Raffle Table Needs:

If you have any gently used or new items for children, we would be incredibly grateful for your donations to our Raffle Table.

Additionally, we’re looking for items that our teachers might enjoy, whether new or pre-loved. Your contributions help us create a festive and exciting experience for everyone involved!

If you would like to donate, please leave items in the front lobby labeled Raffle Table.

The Raffle Table is also looking for a Chair and Co-Chair for next year.

Thanks in advance

Becky Guzman 8B

Raffle Table Chair

Check out this timelapse of the past month of the construction, including pouring the foundation.  Later this week, be on the lookout for some snapshots of the framing going up!

 https://youtu.be/l1OU_xhVkak 

The National Theatre hosts FREE puppetry shows Saturday mornings at the National Theatre in the District of Columbia. The target age range for the shows is 3 to 6 years old.  Families MUST pre-register to attend.   Located on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House, The National Theatre opened in 1835 and is the nation’s oldest venue still presenting touring and pre-Broadway shows.

Dear Friends,

Pre-registration is now open for Happy Birthday, Mon Ami, a hilarious puppet show from our old friends Alex and Olmsted! Click the link above to pre-register and scroll down to learn more about the show and our Holiday Gear challenge.

P.S. In case you didn't know, we're shifting our registrations back to Eventbrite in the new year. First up in 2025: another puppet show, this time featuring The Puppet Co's Jennie the Cat!

About Happy Birthday, Mon Ami
In this winner of a 2024 Jim Henson Foundation grant, class, cultures, and expectations clash when Jacques’ American cousin Sam visits him in Paris for a birthday celebration. Join us for this hilarious puppet adventure from the duo that brought us last season's magical hit Milo the Magnificent!

Holiday Gear
We want to see you spread some cheer with your holiday gear! Come to Happy Birthday, Mon Ami dressed to celebrate your holiday traditions. You might even end up getting a shoutout on our social media...

Time and Place
Performances will take place on Saturday, December 14th at 9:30am and 11am in the Helen Hayes Gallery of The National Theatre located at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004.

Tickets and Donations
Please reserve tickets to the 9:30 AM or 11 AM performance. Registration is FREE but donations are welcome. Please note that you must register before adding an optional donation!

Audience
This performance is ideal for children ages 3-6 but all are welcome!

Accessibility
This performance will be ASL-interpreted. The space is wheelchair accessible.

About the Artists
Alex and Olmsted (Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas) is an internationally acclaimed puppet theater and filmmaking company based in Baltimore, Maryland. They have toured in Germany, Italy, Denmark, South Korea, and Canada and have performed at numerous venues within the United States. Alex and Olmsted was awarded the 2020 State Independent Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council, the highest honor for performing artists in the State of Maryland; their works have been supported by the Jim Henson Foundation and Mid Atlantic Arts, recognized by the New York Times, and named an official selection of the Maryland Film Festival, Paris Art Film, and others. Alex and Olmsted is a resident company at Baltimore Theatre Project. Vernon and Thomas are also proud company members of Happenstance Theater, with whom they have created 11 productions since 2012. Learn more about Alex and Olmsted by visiting their website.

Want to engage with artists and educators? The National Theatre Foundation is once again partnering with the District of Columbia Public Library system to produce The National Theatre Live! at the Library, which brings our Saturday Morning Live! artists to select Library locations in the District. You can catch a preview of Happy Birthday, Mon Ami at West End Library on Friday, December 13th at 10:30am. Enjoy this comical clash of cultures before it goes to The National Theatre!

Did you know that you can enjoy special Saturday Morning Live! programs from the comfort of your home? Click here to watch episodes created by Paige Hernandez, David Gonzalez, Arts On the Horizon, and many more!