Crusader Chronicle
St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School
Celebrating Our Priests
In the Catholic Church, today is the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. However, because it is the last Sunday in September, it is also Priesthood Sunday in the Catholic Church. On this day, we thank and celebrate our priests, and we pray for their vocations.
Priests have been so important in my life, as I'm sure they have been in yours. They presided at our own sacraments and the sacraments of our children, including hearing our confessions, and they anointed our relatives and friends who were sick or dying. They have inspired us, taught us, prayed for us, helped us in our need, and strengthened our faith.
Take time today to pray for our priests, especially Fr. Brownholtz and Fr. Kennedy and all the priests you have known in your lives. Pray for them, as they have prayed for us and dedicated their lives for us.
2025 Jubilee Year Prayer
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
Current School News
Middle School Roster Night Success!
Thank you to Mrs. Crozier and Mrs. Michel for planning a great Middle School Roster Night! Thank you to Mrs. Jaimee Hynes and Mrs. Jaime Konig for representing Home and School to inform our Middle School parents about this year's Middle School electives and about all the opportunities to volunteer at St. Ignatius! Thank you to our Mrs. Michel, Mr. Weinert, Ms. Hensler, Mr. Spadea, Mrs. Casey, Mrs. McBride, and Mr. Seibel for taking time out of their evening to talk to parents about their children's classes! Thank you to Mrs. Gray for joining us and helping with the night! Thank you to Notre Dame High School, Conwell-Egan High School, Holy Ghost High School, and Villa Joseph Marie High School, including St. Ignatius alumni from each of those schools, for joining us and talking to our parents about the high school process and what these schools have to offer! Thank you to all of our Middle School parents who were able to join us - we look forward to even more parents attending next year!
2024 Beef and Beer Success!
Beef & Beer Raffle Donations
Thank you to the following for donating raffle items and certificates to the Beef & Beer:
Adventure Aquarium
Amy Stewart Skincare (Stewart Family)
Carlucci's (Capuano and Coppola Families)
DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies (Longo Family)
Pita Chip
Seasons 52 (Vetter Family)
Sesame Place
Shady Brook Farm
St. Ignatius CYO
St. Ignatius Home & School Board
St. Ignatius Recycle Club
Emily Tallman (Tallman Family)
Trattoria Rosa Bianca
TreeTrails Adventures
Trenton Thunder
Valet Auto Wash
Wegmans Food Markets
If you have an item or certificate you would like to donate, please contact Mrs. Crozier.
Thank You to Our Homework Book Sponsors!
Thank you all our St. Ignatius School Homework Book Sponsors!
We appreciate your support and thank you for providing homework books for some of our students.
Ry Max Construction, LLC (Demolition Specialist)
Ken and Melissa Komar
ARO Construction Inc. (Finish Carpentry)
Adriano and Priscilla Oliveira
DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies
Located in Yardley, PA and Robbinsville, NJ
Matt and Genna Longo
CG Orthodontics Specialists
Located in Yardley and Richboro
FitzGerald-Sommer Funeral Home
Located in Yardley, PA
First Fire Drill
Thank you to our faculty, staff, and students for another successful fire drill on Friday, September 27. Thank you to Victor from First Property for his help with contacting the security company and pulling the fire alarm. Our students did a fantastic job of keeping quiet, exiting the building in an orderly fashion, and lining up outside.
Thank You!
The Recycle Club would like to thank all the families who turned in items.
Your support of our Club generated gift cards to be used throughout the school.
The gift cards have been used for Reading Olympic Books, the Faculty Wish List and Beef & Beer Raffles. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Phishing Scam Reminder from St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish
*****A Reminder Regarding Phishing Scams******
We will never request funds via email or text message from Fr. Brownholtz, Fr. Kennedy, Mr. Meade or any of our administrative staff, especially from a third party source. If someone tries to trick you into purchasing any gift cards through an email or text message, it is ALWAYS a scam. Important rule of thumb, when in doubt… ask someone before responding!
St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish will be hosting a Protecting God’s Children training class in the church on Tuesday, October 8th beginning at 7 pm. Pre-registration is recommended. Here is the link to register:
https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_list2.cfm?theOrgID=18461&theme=0
Walk-ins are welcome the night of the training.
Please pass this information on to any volunteers who may need to complete this training. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Jayne Marcinkowski at jaynem@stignatius.church
Important PreK Parking Reminders
Please follow these procedures for PreK drop-off and pick-up:
Upon arrival, please pull into the “Pre-K parking lot” which is directly across from the golf course and to the far left of our campus. The entrance to our parking area looks directly straight back to the yellow door of our Pre-K building. Please pull all the way forward in the designated parking lanes, leaving exit lanes empty and available. Exit lanes are marked with cones to indicate that cars are not allowed to park there. Park your car and walk your child to the Preschool yellow front entrance (“map area”).
For safety purposes, our parking area is a ONE WAY zone. All cars should exit via the
driveway to the farthest end of our campus. No car should ever back-up to exit. There is NO PARKING along the grass leading up to our building nor in the main parking area
in front of the big school. Please pass this information along to anyone who may do
drop-off or pick-up for you.
Parking Lot:
For the safety of ALL, it is imperative to abide by the arrival and dismissal procedures
stated above. All cars must enter, pull all the way forward down the designated parking lanes of the
preschool lot, and exit via the farthest driveway. We appreciate your support with this.
Please see the map below as a visual representation of the guidelines above.
Please see the attached letter below for more information on pre-school, including parking guidelines, drop-off times, and other important information.
Arrival Procedures Reminders
A few reminders as we start our new school year:
- Kindergarten through Grade 8 students who arrive at school between 8:00 am and 8:15 am will go to the Gym and wait until they are sent to their homerooms.
- All Kindergarten through Grade 8 students should arrive at school by 8:30 am.
- PreK-4 students must be walked to the PreK building between 8:15 and 8:30 am.
- PreK-3 students must be walked to the PreK building between 8:30 am and 8:45 am.
Car Drop-Off and Pick-Up Reminders
Please read these procedures for car drop off and car pick up.
Kindergarten through Grade 8 car drop off:
- Please stay in the drop off line and do not drive around the car in front of you.
- Please wait until the car in front of you pulls forward before you pull forward.
- We ask that parents do not get out of the car; if your child needs help, one of the staff members on duty will help your child to exit the car.
Kindergarten through Grade 8 car pick up:
- Please park in one of the parking lanes between the church and the playground.
- Please wait near the lines of cars until your child exits the school building and comes to you.
- When all your children have come to you, please take them to your car and wait.
- Please wait until the school staff member gives the signal for your line of cars to pull out and drive out of the parking lot before starting to drive away.
For Pre-K drop off and pick up:
- Please use the long parking lanes between Reading Ave. and the big field behind the Pre-K building.
- Please leave the lanes with cones at the end of the lane empty for parents to drive out once they have walked their Pre-K students to the Pre-K building.
- Please take extra care as you are driving, parking, and leaving after Pre-K drop off and pick up.
CARES Program
St. Ignatius School provides before and after school care through our CARES program for all students in PreK-3 through Grade 8.
Please read the attached letter from our CARES Director, Mrs. Brenda Goring. New Families needing CARES, please complete the online registration.
Our 2024-2025 Seminarians
Our current seminarians, Matt and Jonathan, have now met all or our students. Matt and Jonathan are visiting classrooms and even teaching lessons on their Thursday visits. We look forward to our time with Matt and Jonathan this year!
Upcoming Dates
Wednesday, October 2 - All Classes attend Mass at 9:00 am
Wednesday, October 2 - Home and School General Assembly - 7:00 pm
Tuesday, October 8 - Grade 8 attends 9:00 Mass
Thursday, October 10 - Grade 7 attends 9:00 Mass
Sunday, October 13 through Tuesday, October 15 - 40 Hours Devotion
Thursday, October 17 - Feast Day of St. Ignatius of Antioch - all classes attend Mass at 9:00 am
Monday, October 21 through Friday, October 25 - Fab Lab at St. Ignatius
Thursday, October 31 - Halloween Parade
Friday, November 1 - All Saints Day - all classes attend Mass at 9:00 am
40 Hours Family Adoration Hour
Please use the link below for you and your family to sign up for the Family Adoration Hour.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0849AFA62EA0FF2-51386121-family
Archdiocesan School of Distinguished Instruction
St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School has once again been honored by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as a School of Distinguished Instruction. Schools of Distinguished Instruction are determined by their Terra Nova test scores. This year St. Ignatius was one of only three schools that scored 100% in the "Potential" category, meaning that 100% of the grade levels that took the test scored higher than expected, based on the InView scores. Thank you to our teachers, our parents, and our students for this achievement!
2024-2025 Faculty and Staff
The 2024-2025 St. Ignatius of Antioch Faculty and Staff list is below.
PreK-3: Mrs. Azara
PreK-4: Ms. Tabeek
PreK-4: Mrs. McBeth
PreK aides: Mrs. Garcia, Mrs. Stasse, Ms. Herbine, Mrs. Morrison, Mrs. Beck
Kindergarten: Ms. Dionne
Kindergarten Aides: Mrs. Morrison, Mrs. Garcia, Mrs. Beck
Grade 1: Mrs. Edwards
Grade 2: Mrs. Ficarro
Grade 3A: Mrs. Montemarano
Grade 3B: Miss Lynch
Grade 4: Ms. Schmidt
Middle School: Mrs. Michel, Mr. Weinert, Ms. Hensler, Mr. Spadea, Mrs. Casey
(See below for specific Middle School teaching assignments)
Art: Ms. Murray
Music: Mr. Escandon
STEM: Mr. Seibel
PE: Miss Weight
Spanish: Mrs. Gray
Learning Support: Mrs. Hastings
Librarian: Mrs. Casey
Director of Advancement - Mrs. Crozier
Administrative Assistants - Mrs. Perini, Mrs. Chapuis
Health Room Nurse - Mrs. Kriger, RN (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday); Mrs. Barnette-Eckenrode, RN, CSN (Wednesday); Mrs. Petrillo, RN (Friday)
CARES - Mrs. Goring
Assistant Principal - Mrs. Michel
Principal - Mr. Meade
2024-2025 Middle School Faculty
Mr. Spadea - Grade 5 Homeroom, Grades 6 and 7 ELA, Grades 5 and 8 Religion
Ms. Hensler - Grade 6 Homeroom, Grades 5 through 8 Science, Grade 6 Religion
Mr. Weinert - Grade 7 Homeroom, Grade 8 ELA, Grades 5, 6, and 7 Social Studies, Grade 7 Religion
Mrs. Michel - Grade 8 Homeroom, Grades 5 through 8 Math
Mrs. Casey - Grades 4 through 8 Math Honors, Library
Mrs. McBride - Grade 5 ELA
Mr. Seibel - Grade 8 Social Studies, STEM
Mrs. Gray - Spanish
Ms. Murray - Art
Mr. Escandon - Music
Miss Weight - PE
Updated 2024-2025 Calendar
Please click the link below for the latest 2024-2025 St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School Calendar. Our initial calendar was shared with all of our families in May, and the calendar has been updated since then. The attached calendar will continue to be updated as the year progresses and is subject to change.
Address, Email, Phone Number Changes
As we look forward to starting school again soon, we want to remind all families that if you have moved, if you have a new phone number or email address, or if you have any other changes in important contact information, we need to know. Please notify the office of any changes in family or parent email addresses, mailing addresses, or phone numbers. Thank you!
St. Ignatius Instagram Account
Share your summer adventures with your St. Ignatius Community. Email pictures and places to Mrs. Crozier at hcrozier@sischool.org for others to enjoy on our school Instagram!
Follow us @sischoolofyardley
Thank you to Mrs. Crozier for her great work in keeping our Instagram account up to date!
500 Club! Join Now! It's Not Too Late!
Drawings Continue through December 2024!
Only 64 Tickets Left!
12 More Chances to Win in 2024!
September 500 Club Winners
Congratulations to our September 500 Club Winners .....
The 500 Club winning numbers for September are below!
Congratulations to the following winners:
$50: Doreen Holmgren (Ticket #076)
$100: James Pearce (Ticket #032)
$250: Joe Bockin (Ticket #324)
$500: Cathleen Lupisella (Ticket #063)
There are still 64 tickets left for purchase and only 12 chances left to win - one of those may be your lucky number! See below for information on how to buy a ticket and join the 500 Club.
500 Club - Join Now!
Thank you again to all the faculty, parishioners, friends, relatives and school families who have purchased tickets. We have sold 436 tickets so far; only 64 tickets left for the 2024 drawings! There are three monthly drawings left!
Our next drawing will be in early October so make sure you have your ticket!
There are still 12 chances to win during 2024!!
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK:
For repeat news/announcements, please scroll to the end of the newsletter.
Home and School
Look What's Coming Up!
(Additional Details Below)
- First General Home and School General Assembly Meeting THIS Wednesday 10/2 7 pm (earn a dress down day for your kids!)
- St. Ignatius Coat and Sweater Drive THIS Saturday, October, 5th from 9 a.m to 12:00 p.m in the school parking lot.
- FAB LAB! Coming to St. Ignatius the week of October 21st!
- St. Ignatius Trunk or Treat! Friday, October 25th Registration coming soon!
- Crusaders Care Our Fall Community Service Event! Please save the date! Saturday, November 23rd. Details to come!
- Singing and Instrumental Volunteer Opportunity for 7th-12th Grade! Learn more about music, play in an ensemble and accrue community hours. Contact Amy Hail at amyhailqom@gmail.com or Larry Perini at lperini@verizon.net
Active Registrations
- CYO Basketball Registration is OPEN for all St. Ignatius registered parishioners! Prek-8th, High School, and Adult Leagues! Register Here: https://stignatiuscyo.sportngin.com/home
Volunteer Opportunities (Up-to-date Clearances Required) and Donations
- Lunch Duty: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E49A8A723A7F94-50680029-lunchrecess?fbclid=IwY2xjawFKopZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUKQ6TZ0TO1ePInxGpk0ItZUcdNVUivon2OaLsbUasPrcDsA9KlLD8yvKg_aem_iNCtywKOcEnt8lM4Vte2Wg#/
- Volunteers still needed for the following dates! Thank you!!
- Thursday, October 10th (1 volunteer)
- Tuesday, October 15th (2 volunteers)
- Wednesday, October 16th (1 volunteer)
- Thursday, October 17th (1 volunteer)
- Monday, October 21st (1 volunteer)
Upcoming Event Details:
HSA General Assembly Meeting THIS Wednesday, October 2nd at 7 pm. Our first general assembly meeting of the year will be held in the school cafeteria. Please enter the school by the blue canopy. All in attendance will earn their child(ren) a free dress-down day. We encourage everyone to join us!
St. Ignatius 19th Annual Coat and Sweater Drive! THIS Saturday, October 5th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the school parking lot. They will be collecting new and gently used coats and sweaters (snow pants and bibs are also accepted) to distribute to those in need. Last year 1,500 coats and sweaters were collected benefiting nine charities in the Bucks, Trenton, and Philadelphia communities! For additional information please contact the St. Ignatius Social Action Committee.
Mobile Fab Lab: The Mobile Fab Lab (fabrication lab) sponsored and operated by the Bucks County Intermediate Unit travels to local schools encouraging students to explore careers in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) fields. The van transports various STEAM related equipment (laser engraver, 3D printer, CNC router, vinyl cutters, robotics equipment, and so much more)! These activities are hands on and provide an interactive learning opportunity!
Trunk or Treat: Save the date for our Annual St. Ignatius Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 25th! (Rain Date: Sunday, October 27th). The registration form will be coming out soon! Due to space limitations, vehicle numbers will be capped, so register early to save your spot!
Important Information
Singing and Instrumental Volunteer Opportunity First Light is the St. Ignatius music ensemble that provides music for the 9:30am Mass. We are looking to include students from 7th to 12th grade who sing or play a musical instrument in our ensemble. This is a terrific opportunity to learn more about music, play in an ensemble and accrue community hours. Participation is flexible from weekly, monthly, quarterly or seasonal. Please contact Amy Hail at amyhailqom@gmail.com or Larry Perini at lperini@verizon.net, or simply come by after a 9:30am Mass for more information.
Volunteer Clearances: Please visit http://www.stignatius.church/safe.html for information on submitting clearances!
For upcoming events, information, school calendar, and registration forms/ links please visit the HSA school website (https://www.sischool.org/home-school and https://www.sischool.org/hs-forms-and-links)
SCRIP Program Save money on SIS tuition using the shop with scrip program! 75% of the rebates you earn go back to you as a credit on next year’s tuition bill. The other 25% funds the scrip program expenses. Go to www.shopwithscrip.com to sign up for an account. St. Ignatius’ enrollment code is C26FCDC63135. The best payment method is presto pay which enables you to receive your ecards and reloadable gift cards immediately. Download the Raise Right app on your phone to purchase ecards while you are away or even shopping in the store! All physical card orders must be placed by 5 pm the previous Sunday. Any questions, please contact Nicole Kloc (nicolekloc@gmail.com), Coordinator.
THANK YOU!!!
A huge thank you to Giulia Monaco, Kelly Capuano, and Mrs. Crozier for organizing another fantastic Welcome Back Beef and Beer! Thank you to our DJ, Terrence Wiggins and Dave Stamato for keeping the music going strong all night long! Thank you to everyone who was able to stay behind to help clean and reset the school. Finally, THANK YOU to YOU, our St. Ignatius Community, for making this event possible!! Thank you to everyone who was able to come support and for those who purchased raffle tickets and 50/50 tickets! Winners not in attendance will be contacted with how to collect your prizes! THANK YOU!!
- First General Home and School General Assembly Meeting THIS Wednesday 10/2 7 pm (earn a dress down day for your kids!)
St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish News
Children's Liturgy of the Word Looking for Volunteers
Please read the flyer below and consider volunteering for the St. Ignatius Children's Liturgy of the Word. Children's Liturgy of the Word is coordinated by Mrs. Mary Alice LaMorte, who has been Assistant Director, and now the Director, of the St. Ignatius of Antioch Passion Play, which is performed by our very own St. Ignatius of Antioch Middle School students. Please help Mrs. LaMorte with this worthy and rewarding ministry.
Register for CYO Fall Basketball
Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)
Annmarie Flanagan is retiring from PREP at the end of June. After that she will continue with RCIA (now called OCIA). If you or someone you know (maybe your spouse) would be interested in becoming Catholic or just thinking about it, please tell him/her to call Annmarie on her cell --- 215-370-5701. The person does not have to be definite about it.
FORMED Catholic Website
St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish has a parish-wide subscription to FORMED, a Catholic website with diverse Catholic movies, audio books, podcasts, shows, and more. You have free access to the content. Simply go to formed.org/signup, type in St. Ignatius of Antioch, look for the Yardley address on Reading Ave., click NEXT, type your name and preferred email address, and you will have access to the vast amount of content on FORMED.
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage - Visit the Website
This Year of Parish Revival is about falling deeper in love with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus and following him more closely. Mirroring this internal journey with an external one is a beautiful way to connect body and soul in the pursuit of Christ.
The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is not one event or a road trip—it is an exciting opportunity for American Catholics everywhere to physically embody our nation’s journey of Eucharistic Revival. Whether you are on the shores of Hawaii or in the mountains of Alaska, needing to stay close to home or deployed overseas, you are invited to be a part of this journey.
Visit: https://www.eucharisticpilgrimage.org/plan-your-own-pilgrimage
Repeating School Information
St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School Budget 2024-2025
At the General Assembly Meeting on Tuesday, March 19, Greg Lucidi, the St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish Business Manager, led a presentation and discussion of the budget for the coming 2024-2025 school year. The attached document was distributed as a hard copy at the General Assembly Meeting, so we wanted to share it with those parents who could not attend the meeting.