The Panther Post Newsletter

October 2, 2026

Dear Presentation Families,

In October, we will focus on living the faith daily. Faith grows when families practice prayer and devotion together. The saint of the month is Saint Therese of Lisieux. She wrote, "Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always do the smallest thing right and doing it all for love." For this week at least once, pray one decade of the Rosary together as a family.

Today the first graders planted 40 tulip bulbs in a garden area along the Kennard Street sidewalk. Next spring we will all enjoy the first sign of spring in the tulips' bright colors. Thank you first graders!

Next week the K-2 students will be going on their first field trip of the year to Country Sun Farm on Wednesday. Also that morning, the students in grades 3-8 will be praying the Rosary along with students across the Archdiocese via zoom. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Annual Parish Potluck Town Hall on Wednesday, October 7th from 6-8pm in Kenney Hall. More information is available about that event in the newsletter below.

Have a lovely weekend!

Sincerely,

Barb Kearn, Principal

Our virtue of the month for September was Courtesy. Students learned what courtesy looked like and were encouraged to be courteous in their behavior towards each other and staff. When staff members notice students displaying examples of our Virtue of the Month, they give them a Virtue Ticket and students put them in a basket in the office. At the end of the month, 5 tickets are randomly drawn and those kiddos get to pick out a prize! This month's winners were:

Caleb (1st grade)

Nathan (2nd grade)

Our annual school Halloween Party is scheduled for Saturday, October 24th. We are in need of some volunteers to work with the School Family Organization (SFO) to help organize it! To learn more about SFO and what it is, see the section directly below this one. If you are interested in getting in on the planning fun for the Halloween Party, reach out to SFO Chair, Mercedes Martin, at 651-500-5683 or mernst56@yahoo.com.

And remember, these events don't happen without people being willing to step up and help plan them, so please consider being one of those awesome people!

If your child is going to be absent from school for part of or the entire day, please let the office and/or their teacher know when and why as soon as you are able. Tracking attendance is a very important (and legal) obligation we have.

Excused absences include:

• Sickness
• Doctor appointment
• Religious holiday
• Extreme family emergency

All other absences are considered unexcused.

If a student arrives between 8:30-9:30am, they are considered tardy. If they are more than 60 minutes late, it is considered a half day unexcused absence unless it is due to one of the excused reasons listed above.

During the month of October, our Donuts & Devotionals group will be holding a Socktober drive to collect socks for those experiencing homelessness. Any families that wish to donate to this cause can send in new pairs of socks with their students and have them bring the socks to

Ms. Hennessey's classroom. We will begin collecting them now through Friday, October 30th.

School picture day is Thursday, October 8th. Students may come out of uniform that day. Parents will get an email directly from our Photography company, Slow Road, after pictures are taken regarding how to order photos. If your student is absent that day, retake day is scheduled for Wednesday, November 11th.

Here's a look at what our Explorers (toddler) class was up to this week from Ms. Heather:

This week in our toddler classroom, we have been learning all about community helpers and the important roles they play in our community! We explored helpers such as firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, teachers, mail carriers, and construction workers. Through books, songs, pretend play, and hands on activities, we are learning about the many ways these helpers serve our community, and having lots of fun along the way!

We are still looking for a part-time teacher's aide to help out Monday through Friday 3:00-5:00pm. This shift is perfect for a high school student who loves working with children. If you know anyone who might be interested in this position, please have them reach out to Susie Wolter (susiewolter@ladcfamiles.org).

Upcoming Events

October 8: School Picture Day

October 14: Closed, Staff Inservice Day

October 15-16: No School - MEA Child Care Days, RSVP required

November 5: Discovery Center Fall Conferences offered 3pm-7pm

November 6: Closed, Discovery Center Fall conferences offered 7:30am-11am

Bring your furry (or scaley or feathered!) friends to get blessed by Fr Peter TOMORROW morning at the annual Blessing of the Animals in honor of St Francis of Assisi. Meet in front of church at 10am. All pets must be on a leash or in some type of carrier for safety reasons.

Our All-School Mass for October will take place on Sunday, October 11th. Join us at the 9am Mass to worship together as a full community! Any student that comes out of uniform will earn an out of uniform pass.

A reminder that we are not in session October 14-16. The staff will be at a conference October 14 and the 15th and 16 are MEA break. Enjoy the long weekend!!

October 3: Blessing of the Animals, 10am

October 7: Parish Potluck Town Hall

October 8: Picture Day

October 11: All School Mass, 9am

October 12-13: Conferences (K-8)

October 14-16: No School