August 27, 2026

From the Principal

Dear SPC Families,

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year!

What an incredibly smooth and positive start we have experienced this week. The energy throughout our campus has been wonderful, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped make the opening days of school such a success.

This successful beginning is truly a testament to the hard work and preparation of our outstanding faculty and staff, the readiness of our students to return to school prepared to learn, and the tremendous support of our parents and broader school community. Thank you for the many ways you have helped make this opening week such a positive experience for our students.

I would also like to extend a special welcome to the newest members of our faculty:

Ms. Allison Cosgrove – Grade 4
Ms. Mia Gusloff – Physical Education
Mrs. Lisa Christiano – Grade 2
Mrs. Abbey Kilpatrick – Grade 6 Reading/ELA

We are thrilled to have these talented educators join our team and share in our mission to guide and educate our students as young disciples of Jesus Christ.

A very special welcome also goes to all of our new SPC families. We are so grateful that you have chosen Saint Paul of the Cross Catholic School for your children and family. We hope that you quickly feel at home within our school community and discover the warmth, faith, friendship, and commitment that make SPC such a special place.

Our Focus This Year: Belongingness

One of our important priorities this year is to increase the sense of belongingness throughout our school community.

We are intentionally implementing programs, activities, and daily practices designed to strengthen the sense of connection and belonging among our students, parents, faculty, and staff. At SPC, we want every member of our community to know that they are an important part of something special.

Most importantly, we are striving to ensure that each and every student feels safe, supported, included, and valued. Every child should know that they belong at Saint Paul of the Cross and that they have a community of adults and peers who care about them and want them to succeed.

As part of helping our families become more familiar with the many wonderful people who serve our students each day, we have created staff flow charts. These charts include photographs, names, and positions for members of our SPC faculty and staff.

We hope these resources will be especially helpful to our new families as they become familiar with our school community.

Coffee with the Principal: “Did You Know?”

I would like to personally invite all of our parents—especially those who are new to the SPC community—to join me for our first Coffee with the Principal gathering:

Wednesday, September 2, 2026
- 8:15 am Holy Family Chapel – Located in the lower level of the Church
- The theme for this first gathering could best be described as: “Did You Know?”

Did You Know?
This will be an informal and informative opportunity for new and returning families to learn more about school routines, important upcoming events, student resources, and other details that help make the school year easier to navigate.

I will be joined by several members of our SPC leadership team, including:
Mrs. Quinn, Director of Student Services
Ms. Goldberg, Information Technology

Together, we will share helpful information and answer questions from those in attendance. Whether you are new to SPC or are interested in learning more about the many resources and opportunities available to our families, we hope you will join us.

Join Our SPC Community Events!
Building relationships and strengthening our sense of community are important parts of life at SPC. I am excited to invite everyone to two upcoming opportunities to gather together.

SPC Parent Mingle
Friday, September 18
5:30–9:00 p.m.

Please join us for a no-cost Parent Mingle and an opportunity to meet and connect with other members of our SPC community.

We especially encourage our new families to arrive at 5:30 p.m. so they can meet other new families and begin building connections within our community.

SPC Parish Women’s Club Oktoberfest
Friday, October 2
6:00–9:00 p.m.

This event is sponsored and facilitated by the SPC Parish Women’s Club, and we are grateful for their leadership and commitment to bringing our Parish community together. Please see below in the Parish section for more information and details to come.

Calendar of Events

Please take note of these important upcoming dates:

Sunday, August 30
- SPC Football at Notre Dame High School 🏈
- JV Team begins at 12:00 p.m. vs. Queen of All Saints
Monday, August 31
- Extended Day Program begins
- Marla’s Lunch service begins
- Milk service begins
Wednesday, September 2
- Coffee with the Principal: “Did You Know?” ☕
- 8:15 am – Holy Family Chapel
Thursday, September 3
- i-Ready Reading/ELA Assessment – Grades K–8
Friday, September 4
- Home & School Meeting 8:00 am – Holy Family Chapel
  All are invited and encouraged to attend!
Monday, September 7
- Labor Day – No School
Wednesday, September 9
- Curriculum Night – Grades 3-8
- UGC Building 6:00-9:00 pm
Thursday, September 10
- i-Ready Math Assessment – Grades K–8

Save the Date!

Friday, September 25
- SPC Fun Run!

Student Records:
If you have a new student at SPC and have not already done so, please send in a photocopy of your child’s original birth certificate and Baptismal certificate for our student files. If your child was Baptized at St. Paul of the Cross Church, you do not need to submit a Baptismal certificate.

These documents, along with any required health forms, should be dropped off at the school office.

Thursday Mailing:
Please be sure to read through the Thursday Mailing each week. It contains important school updates, upcoming events, deadlines, and other information you won’t want to miss. Be sure to scroll down for all of this week’s flyers, events, and announcements.

As we begin this new school year together, I want to thank each of you for your continued support, encouragement, and commitment to Saint Paul of the Cross Catholic School.

I am incredibly excited about the year ahead and all that our students will accomplish academically, socially, spiritually, and personally. Together, as a faith-filled community, we will continue our important mission of helping our children grow as learners, leaders, and young disciples of Jesus Christ.

I wish our entire SPC school community a faith-filled, joyful, and successful school year!

With gratitude,
James White, M.Ed.

SPC TIGER FUN RUN IS COMING!

Get ready, Tigers! The 2026 SPC Tiger Fun Run is right around the corner, and we are excited to kick off one of our biggest and most fun fundraisers of the year!

This year’s Fun Run will take place on Friday, September 25th, and there are some fantastic opportunities to support SPC through a Fun Run Sponsorship.

Sponsorships are a great way for SPC families and our local business community to support our students while being part of the excitement of the Fun Run! From family-friendly sponsorship opportunities to highly visible business sponsorships, there are several ways to get involved.

Own a business or know a local business that would be a great SPC supporter? We would love to have them join us as a Fun Run sponsor! Please share our sponsorship information and help us spread the word.

Our T-shirt Sponsorships are limited, with sponsor names and logos featured on the Fun Run T-shirts worn by more than 800 SPC students and faculty throughout the school year.

Thank you for helping us make the 2026 SPC Tiger Fun Run a tremendous success!

Fun Run Schedule – Plan Your Day!

Preschool/Jr. Kindergarten: 8:30-8:45 am
Kindergarten: 8:50-9:15 am
1st Grade: 9:20-9:45 am
2nd Grade: 9:50-10:15 am
3rd Grade: 10:20-10:45 am
4th Grade: 10:50-11:15 am
5th Grade: 11:20-11:45 pm
LUNCH: 11:45 am -12:25 pm
6th Grade: 12:30-12:55 pm
7th Grade: 1:00-1:25 pm
8th Grade: 1:30-1:55 pm

Thank you for supporting SPC!

Connie Keady, Kathy Madeja, & Stephanie Martinez
SPC Tiger Fun Run Chairs

Welcome Parents!
The St. Paul Home and School Association is the parent organization at St. Paul of the Cross School. We are excited for the 2026-2027 school year at SPC! As your Home & School board, we invite you to get involved. Home & School is a great way to meet other parents and teachers, spend time with your children, and meet their friends. There are many volunteer opportunities both at school and from your home. Please contact any member of Home & School with questions.

Home and School Association Board:
Dan Bohlke, President
Erin Greene, Vice President
Christine Bryant, Treasurer
Rachel Barrett Kennedy, Secretary

If you like to volunteer or have questions, please contact [email protected] for more information.

Home and School Meetings
Please mark your calendars for the HSA meetings for this school year. Meetings are at 8am in the Holy Family Chapel. We will also send zoom links out if you prefer to join virtually. 9/4, 10/16, 1/22, 4/9

Out of Uniform Passes and Teacher Appreciation Lunches
Home and School Association programs or co-sponsored activities are already underway and we need your partnership to keep the positive momentum. Out of Uniform Passes fund the majority of Home and School activities. We are asking each family to complete this form. One form per student enrolled at SPC needs to be completed. This form will allow you to purchase Out of Uniform Passes and also provide you the opportunity to donate towards our monthly teacher/faculty luncheon and birthday celebrations.This year the Home and School Out of Uniform Passes are $40 and valid for the following dates (also indicated on the SPC School Calendar): Sept 11, Oct 23, Nov 20, Dec 18, Jan 29, Feb 26, Mar 19, Apr 23, May 21.

PS and JK students will be able to purchase a PJ Day Pass for $20. PJ days will be on the same days as out of uniform days.

On the form, you will also have an opportunity to donate towards Teacher Appreciation Lunches. Each month Home and School provides a faculty and staff lunch. The requested contribution per student is $20.00.

Thank you!
Home and School Association Board

Room Parents

Hello SPC families!

As we settle into the first week of the new school year, we are on to planning our room parent volunteers for this 2026/27 school year.

Included in this email is a link to the Google form to fill out if you are interested in volunteering this year, as a room parent in a preschool to 7th grade classroom. Please complete the form no later than 8/31/26 to be considered for a volunteer placement.

A quick note: As a room parent, you will be the main point of contact between your teacher and other parents in your homeroom for special events that occur in the classroom and/or school where volunteers are needed. This means that you will be sending out communications throughout the year as necessary or requested by your teacher, responsible for volunteering and gathering volunteers for events, and supporting your homeroom teachers in other ways that they may request.

Volunteers who are selected will be notified once we have assigned all volunteers for the school. All volunteers are required to be VIRTUS trained, prior to volunteering in the school.

Thank you for your support in making SPC the special place that it is for our kids.https://forms.gle/j2DotkioNf51HcZR7

Thank you!
Jackie Stengle & Jenny Ramundo (Room Parent Coordinators)

More SPC Updates

Please download more details and information here. We look forward to a great year!

Fall Clubs

Chess Ed – Tuesdays 2:00-3:00 pm
Beginning Tuesday, September 8th
**Click here for all of the details and registration information.**

The Language Academy
Spanish!
Tuesdays 2:00-3:00 pm
Beginning Tuesday, September 8th
Please click here for information.

Smiling Strings
Guitar and Violin!
Tuesdays 2:00-3:00 pm
Beginning Tuesday, September 8th
Please click here for information.

ADHD Back to School Toolkit

From the Parish

We have an active and vibrant parish and encourage everyone to read the weekly bulletins for Fr. James’ weekly letter and stay informed about all upcoming events and programs.

Please click here for the latest bulletin.
Please click here for Fr. James’ Weekly Letters

Children’s Choir
Online Registration is OPEN!

Online Registration for the 2026-2027 Children’s Choir is now open! All children in grades 2-8 are invited to sing with the choir. Rehearsals begin on Wednesday, September 16th and run from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in The Holy Family Chapel.

Visit the church’s website to register your child.

For more information contact our Director of Music, Ed Eicker, at [email protected].

St. Paul of the Cross Parish Women’s Club

SPC Parish Women’s Club Oktoberfest!
Friday, October 2
6:00–9:00 p.m.

Please join us for our first Oktoberfest!
This exciting community event is sponsored and facilitated by the SPC Parish Women’s Club, and we are grateful for their leadership and commitment to bringing our community together. We hope to see many SPC families joining us for an enjoyable evening of fellowship and fun.