The Panther Post Newsletter

September 19, 2025

Hello Presentation Community,

It’s been another great week here at Pres (even with yesterday’s little facility scare—thank you to everyone for your patience and calm!). I’m excited to see you all at our first All-School Mass this Sunday. Some of our middle school students will be sharing the new initiatives we have planned for this year, and I can’t wait for you to hear from them.

Have a wonderful weekend, and we’ll see you at Mass!

God Bless,

Matt

We are ready to start taking orders for Panther Pride Benefit T-Shirts!

For our new families, the Panther Pride Benefit is our school's big annual fundraiser. The main event is held in April and consists of a dinner and auction held here at Presentation, but it also has various "extensions" - such as t-shirt and raffle ticket sales (raffle tickets will come later in the year) - all in efforts to raise funds in support of our awesome school!

Click on the link below to order your shirt. All shirt orders are due by Friday, September 26th!

We are hoping to fill the following roles on the Panther Pride Benefit Committee, and are inviting all school family members to be a part of this exciting effort. It's a fun, rewarding way to connect with others and make a real impact on the future of our school (not to mention earn yourself some service hours!).

• Service Coordinator: Reaches out to former Presentation students to see if they want to help out the night of (potential roles include greeters, table bussers, etc.). Works to generate interest in helping at the event within the school community (via communications, a sign-up genius).
• Technology Platform: Understands any of the following functions: registration, thank you notes, receipt generation, open/closing bidding, recording night of game purchases, winners of live auction/fund-a-need donors sign an extra acknowledgement, silent auction, live auction prize creation, etc. We have a new technology platform. Multiple people will be needed for this effort.
• Decorations: In conjunction with the theme of the event, executes a creative vision within a pre-determined budget.

Participation in these roles includes (mostly) independent work performed at your convenience. Our remaining meetings (mostly virtual) are the following dates: 11/11/25, 1/13/26, 2/10/26, 3/17/26, 4/7/26, & 4/14/26. Any interest in or questions regarding the roles can be directed to pantherpridebenefit@pbvmstudents.org.

Sale Details:

• Sale Dates: Extended to 9/30/2025
• 25% off all merchandise
• Free shipping on orders over $75

Remember, the last Friday of every month is Spirit Wear Day where students can come to school out of uniform IF they are wearing Spirit Wear!

A reminder that next Friday, September 26th is the last day to opt in to our Emergency Notification System. This system will be used to notify families of things such as snow days, security protocols, etc. Click on the button below to sign up.

The deadline to order a quarter-zip school sweatshirt was last Friday, September 12, and Ms. Davini placed all orders with Donald's on Monday, the 15th. Donald's has let us know that we should have the shirts in about 3 weeks, so they should be arriving in early October. If students don't have one prior to then and get chilly during the school day, they are welcome to stop in the office and borrow one to use during the day.

The Art Academy is an art school located in the Highland Park area of St. Paul that offers affordable, flexible art classes for children though adults. Here is what they have to say about their teaching philosophy:

"The Art Academy of St. Paul began with a simple yet revolutionary philosophy: We believe that with time, encouragement and the proper instruction, anyone can learn to draw and paint exceptionally well. Our school has served the Minneapolis & St. Paul community for over 30 years as artists and teachers."

Their Fall term begins October 6th, click the link in the button below to learn more about their various classes and view a flyer showcasing some of their students' pieces. They are also one of the donors for Panther Pride Benefit taking place in April - you will be able to bid on a class valued at $240!

Please make sure you join us for our first All-School Mass of the year THIS SUNDAY, September 21st at 9am. All students are encouraged to wear their uniform, and will earn an out of uniform pass for doing so. Our parishioners do a LOT to support our school in a myriad of ways - they give financially, they show up to help out at events and care for our campus, and they are always offering prayers and asking after our students and families. It means a lot to them to see our students and families come to celebrate Mass with them. So please do your best to be in attendance if you are able. We have an amazing community and family here and getting to know each other better can only serve to strengthen that!!

We'll see you all there!

Our Fall Festival will be here before we know it! Join us on September 27-28 for our annual Parish Fall Festival. There are lots of ways to help out:

1. Help out: follow the link below to see our volunteer opportunities and to sign up.

2. Donate items: We’re looking for donations of Gatorade bottles, 2-liter sodas, and movie box-sized candy, which can be dropped off at the school or parish office. Books, puzzles, and movies will be accepted for the Book Booth. Cakes & pies can be purchased or homemade for the Cake Walk. No pick-up. All items can be dropped off on Saturday, September 27 from 9am—12pm.

3. Theme Baskets for the Basket Booth: Make a theme basket of any variety using new, unused items, and if food, only non-perishable food (no chocolate). Or donate those items and gift cards and we will make one for you! Donations can be dropped off at the parish office.

If you have any questions or are interested in helping out, contact co-chairs Nikki Giel (nikkigiel@gmail.com) or Toutha Ly (toutha.ly@gmail.com).

All boys in grades Kindergarten through Grade 8 are invited to join us on Friday, October 3, starting at 5:30 p.m. for the St. Thomas Academy Cadets Football game. RSVP at cadets.com/gridiron to receive FREE Admission! At the Showdown you'll meet coaches, enjoy pre-game sideline access, and welcome the team onto the field!

Picture day will be Friday, October 10th. Students may come out of uniform that day to get their picture taken. If they are absent, retake day is Friday, November 14th. You will be notified via email by our photography company, Slow Road Photography, when your child's pictures are ready and you can order directly from them, so keep an eye on your inbox. If you have any questions regarding Picture Day or ordering photos, please contact Slow Road Photography at hello@slowroadphoto.com.

Camp I Can will be running an MEA break pop up camp for boys and girls in grades 1, 2 and 3 for any child interested, regardless of the school they attend.

It is located at St. Therese in Deephaven, MN on Thursday, October 16th from 9am-2pm. The cost is $150 a student, giving a $20 discount for those who register before September 20th.

We will be covering topics to develop coping skills for everyday stressors, helping facilitate real life practice of social skills, and help campers feel prepared to self-regulate.

Learn More: https://www.campicanusa.com/

Register: https://pci.jotform.com/campicanpsc/cic-popup-oct16

Dates and Pricing: https://www.campicanusa.com/dates-pricing

We're excited to announce two awesome parents have stepped up to head the Halloween Party this year - THANK YOU! Details will be forthcoming, but mark your calendars for Saturday, October 25th! It will be a SPOOKTACULAR time!

Our Soccer and Volleyball seasons are in full swing and the players love it when fans come to cheer them on! Check out their schedules on the Catholic Athletics Association Website at the link below. You can filter by team to find the schedule.

**Please note that for the soccer team you will want to look up the boys soccer team**

Sept 21: All School Mass, 9:00am

Sept 27-28: Parish Fall Festival

October 10: Picture Day

Oct 16-17: No School - MEA

Oct 20-22: 7th Grade at Wolf Ridge ELC

Oct 25: Halloween Party

Come help us honor Sr. Kathy at the 9:00am Mass on October 19th, followed by a Coffee Sunday reception in Kenny Hall with her. Sr. Kathy was our faith formation director for many years at Presentation, and also worked in the school. She was loved by all. If you would like to make her a Spiritual Bouquet, it is simply a card with a listing of Masses, Rosaries, Holy Communion, Visits to the Adoration Chapel, etc., all offered up for her in celebration of her 75-year vocation to the Benedictines and her service to our children and the poor. We will take your Spiritual Bouquet at the parish office or in the offertory at Mass, and add it to a scrap book we will present to her on October 19th. If you have any questions or want to help , call Kay Mottaz at 651-842- 6022.

Our Men’s Club annual Mini-Cad Raffle & Dinner is just around the corner!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 11th at 6pm—just after the 5pm mass. There will be a 100-ticket closed raffle drawing, an Asian Cuisine dinner prepared by chef John Auge, and bingo that all are welcome to attend! Dinner will cost $15 per person.

For the raffle, every ticket will be drawn, and the top prize is $1000! Winners need not be present to win. Raffle and dinner tickets will be sold for $50 by members of our Men’s Club after masses at the Kennard Street entrance.