St. Patrick Catholic School

Congratulations to our 8th grade students, who were recognized during Wednesday evening’s Mass. We wish you continued success and all the best as you move on to high school.

May 14, 2026

Wow! It is hard to believe that the school year will come to a close next Friday. It has been another terrific year at St. Patrick School, and I continue to learn and grow in my role as principal. Over the past four years, I have been continually impressed by the dedication of our outstanding staff. They care deeply about our students and are always willing to go above and beyond to help them succeed academically, socially, and spiritually. I truly feel blessed to work alongside such caring and committed educators each day. Parents should know that at St. Patrick School, your children are supported by exceptional teachers and staff who genuinely want the very best for every student.

One of the things that continues to make me most proud is the way our students represent themselves and our school when they are in front of others. Through opportunities such as School Masses and Monday Morning Prayer, all students are given the chance to lead and speak publicly on a regular basis. I am continually impressed by how well prepared they are and how comfortable and confident they become speaking in front of groups. These are experiences that many students do not have the opportunity to participate in regularly at other schools.

This was reinforced recently when I was asked to bring a couple of students to help emcee a Cedar Falls community event. The students did not receive their script until they arrived, yet they confidently stood in front of a large group of unfamiliar adults and spoke with clarity and poise. They truly impressed everyone in attendance. At the conclusion of the event, numerous individuals approached the students to compliment them on how well they had done. Even the president of UNI took time to personally shake their hands and congratulate them.

Moments like these are wonderful reminders of the many benefits our students gain from attending St. Patrick School. They are growing not only academically, but also in confidence, leadership, faith, and character. Experiences like this also remind me how truly special it is to serve as principal of St. Patrick School.

Thank you for your continued support, partnership, and for entrusting us with your children each day. We are incredibly grateful to be part of such a wonderful school and parish community.

Blessings,

Mr. Wiebers

Our last CPTO meeting of the school year will be held tonight, Thursday, May 14th at 6:30 p.m. in the MPR. We hope to see you there!

This is a reminder that on our last day of school (Friday, May 22) Circle of Care and afternoon Daycare services will not be available in the afternoon.

All preschool through grade 8 students must be picked up by 1:30 p.m.

If your student typically attends Circle of Care or preschool daycare, please make appropriate arrangements in advance for this scheduled closure.

Invoices for the month of April were sent home with students last week. Please check backpacks and folders, and return payment for outstanding fees either by cash, check or through our online payment portal.

Field Day: We will have our Field Day activities on Thursday, May 21. In the event of rain, we will cancel Field Day and each classroom will have their own individual activities.

Last Day of School: On Friday, May 22nd we will have our end of the year parties at the park! Listed below are which park each grade will attend. Students will attend Mass before heading back to school to prepare for park visits. In the event of rain, we will remain at school.

K/1st/2nd: Lookout Park (Located off of Rainbow Dr on Park Dr)

3rd/4th: Gateway Park (Across the river on Main Street near Cedar City Creamery)

5-8th: Pfeiffer Park (910-916 Grand Blvd)

Students are to bring their own picnic lunch and a drink from home as lunch will not be served at school on the last day. If you plan on bringing lunch to the park for your student, please contact their teacher to confirm an approximate time they plan on eating.

On Friday, May 22 we will not be running an afternoon bus route. All bus riding students will need to be picked up at school by 1:30 p.m.

Mrs. Sink would like to remind all students that library books are due by Friday, May 15th. The final week of school students will not be allowed to check out any books.

Students interested in summer reading? This is a great opportunity to get a library card at the Cedar Falls Public Library and check out books all summer long!

Report cards will be sent home with your K-Gr. 4 student before the end of the school year. Report cards for Gr. 5-8 will be sent out the week of May 25.

Final invoices for any unpaid balance (lunch, Circle of Care, tuition, etc.) will be emailed or USPS mailed. The full balance is due upon receipt. Payment can be mailed to the school (615 Washington St.), dropped off at the parish office (705 Main St.) or paid online (fee applies) at: https://www.ezschoolpay.com/Login.aspx

Pictured above is our current Lost and Found selection. We have accumulated a multitude of coats, sweatshirts, hats, gloves and uniform apparel. Please stop in the MPR, and take a look to see if any of your child's items are needing to be collected.

All items remaining after the last day of school will be donated.

Parents of incoming 7th grade students will need to check with their doctor to make sure all immunizations are up to date.

An updated immunization record for all 7th graders will need to be turned in to the office by registration time in August.

Scrip is our school’s ongoing fundraiser where families can earn half the rebate amount to apply towards their Circle of Care and/or lunch balance! If you’d like to place a Scrip order, simply send an email to scrip@cfcatholicschool.org. Scrip cards will be ordered every other week and your order will be ready for pickup the following Friday in the parish office.

As you travel this summer, remember that you can purchase Scrip gift cards on the go! All you need is a Scrip account and the RaiseRight app. Learn more by clicking here: Learn more about our Scrip program. There are over 1000 different gift cards available through our Scrip program. Over 400 are offered as eCards or reloadable cards.

At this time we do not have a bus driver secured for the 2026–27 school year. We expect to know by August 1 whether bus service will be available.

When offered, bus service is available for a fee and serves select areas within Cedar Falls.

Current bus riders who plan to use bus service this fall should complete the Bus Intent Form and return it to the school office by June 22.
Families interested in learning more about possible bus service may contact the school office at office@cfcatholischool.org.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we finalize transportation plans for the upcoming school year.

We are excited to share that the Students First Act, which provides Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), are now open for applications for the 2026-27 school year.

ESA Application Window

Opens: Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 8:00 a.m.
Closes: Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

Application website: https://iowa-households.withodyssey.com/login/

The application is available in English and Spanish.

How to Apply

First-Time Applicants:

Sign up with an email and password.
Confirm your email through a message from Odyssey.
Log in to the ESA portal to begin your application.
The application process is quick, and approval may be granted shortly after submission.

Returning Applicants:

Log in to your existing ESA portal account to submit your application for the 2026-27 school year.
Even if you qualified for an ESA in in the past, you must reapply for the 2026-27 school year.

Need Help?

Email: help.ia@withodyssey.com
Phone: 515-368-9564

Or email Mr. Wiebers for help getting your application submitted.

We are gearing up for a great start to the 2026-2027 school year, and we are just 17 volunteers away from being fully staffed for our late summer and early fall volunteer events. We are also still looking for a few helping hands to step into CPTO Committee Head roles. View descriptions and time commitments for CPTO committee role by clicking here.

The Challenge: Can we fill these last 17 spots by May 22nd, the last day of school!?

Whether you’re interested in a one-time shift or a leadership positions, please visit this link to sign up and help us hit our goal. Thank you for helping us cross the finish line and supporting our school!

Interested or have questions?

Contact Christa Guetterman (CPTO Volunteer Chair) — call or text: 712‑210‑0541
You’re also welcome to reach out to Kelsey Kersting or Ashley Kelley.

Summer information:

· We will be answering phone messages and emails throughout the summer.

· The school office will be open by appointment only.

· The following forms/information can be found on our website under the Admissions/Enrolling Your Student tab:

· Be watching your email later this summer with information on final online registration that will be due by August 1.

· Gently used uniform items (free!) are always available throughout the school year. Tables of these items will be set out in the gym at the end of July – more details will be included in the next newsletter.

· Starting at final registration in August, we ask that parents prepay their lunch and Circle of Care accounts at the beginning of each month.

We currently have openings for the 2026–27 school year:

We are looking for a part-time 3rd/4th-grade associate (20 hours per week) and a part-time marketing position (20 hours per week). These roles are presently combined into one full-time position, but they may also be filled separately as two part-time positions, depending on interest and fit.

Contact Mr. Wiebers at
jwiebers@cfcatholicschool.org or
319-277-6781

We are also looking for kitchen help just a few hours a day—perfect for parents with school-aged kids!
Enjoy the same days off (including summers!) as your child—no babysitter needed!
Join our team, serve up smiles, and help make lunchtime the best part of the day!
Interested? Contact Principal Jon Wiebers

Gently used uniform items (free!) are always available throughout the school year at our uniform exchange closet for shorts and skirts. To schedule a time to browse available items, please contact the school office. In July we plan to offer a time for items to be available in the gym for the taking!

The 2 pm session on Wednesdays is designed to accommodate the children who attend St. Patrick School and Clover Patch. A catechist will accompany children from their school building to the parish center atria. Register here through Realm. Contact Monica Miller with any questions at the parish office, 319-266-3523 or at mmiller@saintpatrickcf.org

Columbus Catholic Spring Sports:

Practice will soon begin for high school and middle school spring sports.

CHS Parents- please ensure if your child is participating in these activities; you have created a family Bound acct, loaded your child and their needed paperwork into the account. Registration is open for these activities.

Bound How-To Sheet

Summer Sports:

Open gyms have started for upcoming high school summer sports; please reach out if you need more information.

Softball- Coach Aaron Becker: chssoftball@cvcatholic.org

SOFTBALL (9-12 plus 8th graders): INTEREST LINK

Baseball- Coach Mike Zehentner: chsbaseball@cvcatholic.org

BASEBALL (9-12 plus 8th graders): INTEREST LINK

NEW S&C Information:

Was emailed out the first week of January. Please see the attached PDF if you missed it. Make
sure you and your students join the TeamReach group for the most up-to-date schedule/changes.

TEAM NAME: STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

CODE: STRENGTH26

There are 5 local scholarships available for girls who are interested!

We wanted to share another exciting opportunity for students ( and adults) to receive much needed dental care! Hawkeye Community College is planning a Summer Dental Clinic for 3 weeks in the month of July; offering FREE dental examinations, x-rays, preventive and operative treatments. Appointments are required.

Below, I've attached multiple flyers for the three different youth camps that we will have! This includes Cats Camps, Panthers Camps, and a Girls Flag Football Camp.

Our website is www.unifbcamps.com. This is where you are able to look into the camps more and register for them.

Thanks,

Brady Ramker