- Sep 24, 2025
- 7 min read
Now that we are back in school again, it's time to get excited about the Fall Festival! Thanks to the many volunteers who came forward to make it possible this year.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, September 25 - Curriculum Night (4:30 pm - 6:30 pm). Stop by the school and learn about your child's class!
Thursday, October 2 - NO SCHOOL (Staff Development)
Tuesday, October 7 - Picture Day! See section below to volunteer.
Friday, October 10 - Family Friday. Coffee after dropoff. Please bring treats/pastries/fruit to share. Outside if weather is nice, in cafeteria if not.
Friday, October 10 - Fall Festival! 5 pm -7 pm at the school. See section below.
Tuesday, October 14 - Advisory Council (5:30 pm - 6:30 pm) & SAPSA Meeting (6:30 pm - 7:30 pm)
Thursday & Friday, October 16 & 17 - NO SCHOOL (MEA)
New Classroom at SAP
We are excited to welcome a new classroom at SAP Elementary this year, taught by Anna Ferris. Here is a note from Ms. Ferris about her class.
Hello! My name is Anna Ferris and I am a special education teacher at St. Anthony Park Elementary School. This is my 4th year teaching special education at SAP, and my first year as the special education teacher in SAP’s new Federal Setting 3 classroom. This classroom is for students with disabilities who receive special education services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The students in our classroom have needs related to Autism Spectrum Disorders and/or Developmental Cognitive Disabilities. Federal Setting 3 classrooms are for students who spend more than 60% of their school day in the special education setting, meaning our students spend most of their day in our special education classroom. We have had a great start to our school year and we appreciate the warm welcome we have gotten from the SAP community!
I have received a few questions from the community about ways to be involved in the new classroom. We are fully staffed and well stocked on many supplies. We will not be taking any volunteers at this time and do not need much in terms of materials. With this, we will always happily accept donations of extra Clorox or disinfecting wipes, tissues, and plastic/grocery bags :)
There have also been a few questions from families about how to best talk to their student(s) about this new room. Our classroom has fewer students and more staff compared to other classrooms in the building. If your child asks about these differences, I would suggest explaining that all students learn differently, and that is why our classroom looks a bit different. SAP does a great job of celebrating diversity and I kindly ask that we continue these efforts regarding our new special education program. We have been referring to the new classroom simply as Ms. Ferris’s room. Our classroom runs similarly to all other classrooms at SAP with our main focus of learning, building community, and having fun.
Thank you for your continued support and efforts to include all students at SAP!
A Few Words with Our New Principal
The Wolf Pack Press did a short interview with our new principal, Phil Hutcheson.
WPP: Have you been a principal at other schools before, or is this your first rodeo?
Principal Hutcheson: This is my first time in the principal role. I have been in education for 15 years, working as a special education TA, science teacher, and most recently an assistant principal at Farnsworth Upper in SPPS. I am excited to take on the challenges of leading the building, and I think seeing education from all these perspectives has set me up to do so. I am also blessed with a great set of mentors to help me bounce ideas off of.
What are some impressions of St. Anthony Elementary from your first few weeks on the job?
What stands out most is the connection between the school and the community. The involvement extends beyond just families. Our partnership with the University and community members who want to be involved because their students attended years ago. It is truly a special place. The students have been amazing and welcoming. It is such a warm place, I couldn't be happier to be a part of it.
Did you like school when you were a kid?
School was really important to me as a student. I moved around frequently as a young student. My family lived in 13 cities in 11 states before settling in Minnesota in 7th grade. During that time I attended school at 12 different schools. Those schools were the place I felt best. The care and kindness of the teachers, the chance to learn something new, and the opportunity to meet friends made schools such an important aspect of growing up.
So what do you do to unwind when you are not being a principal?
I love to be outside or be active, even better if I can combine the two. I enjoy hiking and camping, and typically take at least one trip to the BWCA during the summer. I also enjoy golf whenever I have a chance. In the winter, I still enjoy taking my dog out for a walk. You can also find me playing hockey on an outdoor rink or curling at Frogtown Curling Club.
Do you have a favorite book or movie?
I am not sure if I have a favorite book or movie, but I prefer science fiction or fantasy in both forms. I will consume anything Star Wars and it was a foundational movie for my enjoyment of science fiction. I got caught up in fantasy when the Harry Potter series came out. I still enjoy both genres today.
What is the most distant place you have traveled to?
I had a really unique opportunity to travel to Norway a few years back. My wife’s family is deeply connected to their Norwegian heritage and through that she was selected to participate on a Norwegian tv show where Americans of Norwegian descent travel and learn about the country and compete in challenges about what they learned. She ended up winning the show and part of the prize was me getting to travel over with her. We met her living relatives, traveled to where her great-great-great grandfather was born, and spent some time exploring the capital. It was the furthest and most unique travel experience of my life.
Volunteer for Picture Day
Picture day will be Tuesday, October 7. We are looking for one more volunteer to help on this day, 7:30 am to approximately 1:30 pm. The volunteer is responsible for getting the classes to the photo room and maintaining the line of students.
Email Michele Brinkhaus (michele.brinkhaus@spps.org) if you are able to volunteer your talents!
Fall Festival
The Fall Festival will be Friday, October 10, 5-7pm at the school. This is a major SAP Elementary fundraiser and also loads of fun! The festival includes games, crafts, a bake sale, and a haunted house!
We still needs lots of volunteers for setup, cleanup, games and crafts. Sign up HERE.
Bake Sale
An important part of the Fall Festival is the bake sale, so sign up to bring your favorite cookies, cupcakes, brownies, or other treat. The bake sale has a separate signup HERE.
Great Gatherings
A letter from Leigh Seifert, who is organizing this fall's Great Gatherings fundraiser:
This year, we are bringing back Great Gatherings during Fall Festival on October 10th!
Great Gatherings are fundraising events hosted by families, staff, and other community members. Hosts will plan an event, and SAPSA will sell tickets to the community.
Past Great Gatherings have included: pizza parties, art projects (for kids or adults), fancy dinners, wine tastings, yoga classes, backyard movies or bonfires, Amazing Race inspired contests, ice skating and hot cocoa, and parents’ night out.
Do you have a skill that you could teach? Are you a great cook? Do you knit or sew? Do you throw a great party (kid or adult)? The only limit is your imagination! You decide the amount of tickets, allowable ages, location, time and date, and activity. Feel free to team up with a friend to host!
This is a wonderful fundraiser that not only raises money for SAPSA, but also builds community!
If hosting isn't up your alley, you’ll be able to purchase tickets to Great Gatherings at the Fall Festival on Friday, October 10th. The events happen throughout the year and are so much fun for the whole family.
Interested in hosting a Great Gathering? Yay! Thank you! Please complete the form by going to https://bit.ly/GreatGatheringsSignup.
Thank you for your continued support of Saint Anthony Park Elementary School and SAPSA.
Please contact Leigh Seifert at seife058@umn.edu if you have any questions.
Fall Bulb Fundraiser
Get your tulips, daffodils and wildflowers here! Buy bulbs to plant this fall and enjoy next spring, while supporting our school! Shop online. Orders will ship directly to your home. The bulb sale is sponsored by Flower Power Fundraising. SAP Elementary receives 50% of all sales!
Orders accepted until October 15.
Order bulbs HERE.
Wolf Ridge Calendars for Sale
Wolf Ridge Calendars will be for sale at Curriculum Night and at Fall Festival!
Each year, SAP Elementary 5th graders take an unforgettable trip to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN. This 5 day, 4 overnight camp experience builds core memories through outdoor adventures and experiential learning about MN History and the Lake Superior Area. The cost to attend is $300/student but NO child is turned away for lack of payment.
One way scholarships are provided is through the sale of calendars featuring Minnesota Wildlife. This year's photographer is Dominique Braud.
Calendars cost $20 and ALL proceeds go towards funding Wolf Ridge scholarships for 5th grade students.
Events Flyers
Here are a few flyers for fall events going in in SPPS and Parks & Rec. Enjoy these activities!
Spirit Wear
Rep your favorite elementary school! T-shirts ($20/kid, and $22/adult) and school signs ($10) are available for pre-order now. Email president@sapsamn.org for preorders. Or, look for in-person sales at school events.
For existing orders, shirt pickup is moved back to 10/10, not curriculum night as I initially planned.
Have a great week, Wolf Pack!
If you have suggestions for content or questions about anything in the Wolf Pack Press, please reach out to Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org
