December, 2008 Newsletter
Dear St John Fisher Families,
I have often told friends that if you cannot work in Santa's Shop at the North Pole, there is no better place to work in December than at a school filled with the anticipation of Christmas. The month ahead will be busy, but also great fun! Be sure to keep the school calendar handy so that you do not miss any of our pre-Christmas events.
November was a great month at SJF. Despite the fact that the nightly news is so filled with huge concerns about the economy, we still have so much for which to be grateful in this season of Thanksgiving.
Thanks for the partnership we share that was so evident at parent teacher conferences. Our kids are so blessed to be surrounded by love and supported in all of their endeavors.
Thanks for your immense generosity with the "Count your Blessings" Day.
A single half sheet of paper that invited your response had an amazing outcome.
Thanks for the gifts and talents of Dr. Dave McGinnis, an SJF graduate who came to talk to the students from grades 5-8 about his work at Fermi Lab. The input he gave was great and the questions the kids asked were so intelligent!
Thanks to all who worked with the students on the Presidential Debate. What a great learning experience for all! Because of their efforts and encouragement, we had a very informed student electorate who experienced both voter registration and actual voting.
Thanks to our athletes and their coaches. Although there were no championships in football this year, the teams represented the school so well at every level of competition. The girls basketball teams did exceptionally well with two teams winning the Southwest Conference Championships! Thanks too to the loyal fans, chauffeurs, and concession stand workers who add so much to our athletic program.
Thanks to the new running club. More than 80 students and parents ran in the Pilgrim Pacer Race in LaGrange and represented our school well.
Thanks to all who worked so hard to make the FSA Boutique Night so successful. (Was anyone able to finish their Christmas shopping?)
Thanks to all who came for the Mass and Dinner that marked the opening of the 60th Anniversary of the Parish. Thanks especially to the eighth graders who wrote a beautiful poem to commemorate the event. (The poem will be displayed for Catholic Schools Week).
Thanks to the School Board, Family School Association, Special Lunch Servers, MANNA workers, Market Day workers and all whose consistent volunteer hours help make the school stronger.
Thanks to the grade level breakfast providers who once each month deliver the most elegant breakfast treats for the faculty!
Thanks to our teachers who do such an outstanding job not only in November, but absolutely every day! Thanks also to our school secretaries who do so much "behind the scenes work" to help the school operate efficiently.
Thanks to the Scouts and their leaders who flipped literally thousands of pancakes for a very successful pancake breakfast. Thanks also to the girl scouts and brownies that baked delicious apple pies at Thanksgiving.
Thanks to the Women's Club who hosted the lovely Mother-Daughter Mass and fashion show. Thanks also to the men of the Holy Name Society for organizing a coat collection for persons in need. Both groups provide wonderful role models for our students.
Thanks to Mrs. Funk who organized children's book week activities, partner reading day, and family reading night. I hope you enjoyed the peace and quiet of a good book, a hot cup of tea, and the joy of watching your children read.
Thanks to all who make the Thanksgiving Family Mass at SJF such a memory-maker. The music is spectacular. The fifth graders did a wonderful re-telling of the story of the First Thanksgiving. Special thanks to Nello Sabatini from Franconello's who so generously donates the bread that we take home to share around the family table. (Some have confessed to an after mass treat when they warm the bread, smear it with butter, and relax before guests arrive! Sound familiar?)
Thanks to all who helped organize our first Advent Wreath Making Project for our families. What a great way to expand the meaning of Christmas for our families.
The list could go on and on....Perhaps before you close your eyes tonight you could do something very "Oprah-esque" and list three things for which you are grateful. The practice does wonders for your heart and your insomnia.
The red and green construction paper is flying off the shelves as we get ready for Christmas. Important events to remember include the Annual Sacks for Santa Campaign, our toy collection for children served by Catholic Charities. The business section of the paper reports almost daily that charitable contributions will be down this year. Please know that we understand this very tight economy and just ask you to do what you might be able to do. Taking the kids with you to select a gift, or asking them to make a small sacrifice toward the purchase of the gift can make this a very significant part of a more meaningful Christmas. The toy collection begins next Monday, December 8. Representatives from Catholic Charities will come for the toys on Friday, December 12. Thanks in advance for your help.
There will be lots of creative gift making at the annual Family School Association' Christmas Crafts Night on December 5th. Gifts crafted here are "keepers" that never go on sale at Nordstrom's! The party begins at 5:30. You should have received a flyer detailing information about the event.
Promise yourself now to take one night out of your busy pre-Christmas schedule to come for the Gavin Coyle Christmas Concert on December 9. We are so happy to welcome Gavin for a return engagement. The program is about 90 minutes long and is guaranteed to touch your heart and soul and prepare you for the busy days that can drain so much of our Christmas cheer. Please try to come. Families are welcome!
Please check our webpage and your children's book bags for information about HOOPSMANIA. This is a popular and non-mandatory fundraiser which last year raised almost $19,000 to offset the costs of our Science and Technology Programs. A winning ticket might be an excellent Christmas gift for the hard to buy for friend or sports fan on your list. We will streamline the program a bit this year to make it easier to have the tickets more easily available. We are also looking for help with "ticket sellers". Those who helped last year can verify that because there are so many opportunities to win, the tickets were easy to sell. If you have any ideas for selling the tickets or other suggestions to help make the project more successful, please call or email Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Maxwell or me with your ideas.
As mentioned in previous newsletters, we will also be hosting a Super Bowl Party again this year. Although the Bears performance yesterday did not bode well for their Super Bowl aspirations, Kane Hall with good friends and great food is a great way to spend Super Bowl Sunday.
When you gather at Christmas, please remind your extended families that as part of Catholic Schools Week and our 60th Anniversary Celebration, we are having a multi-generational family Mass on Sunday, January 25th. If your siblings, cousins, or other members of your extended families are SJF graduates, please invite them to come. Mass will be followed by light refreshments, tours of the school, and an opportunity for family photos.
There will be several Christmas programs this month. The band performs in concert on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 7:00 p.m. The pre-schoolers make their stage debut in a special Christmas Show on Wednesday, Dec. 17 and the Kindergarteners will do a show for their parents and guests at a matinee performance on Wednesday, Dec. 17. (Teachers from both groups will send details.) If there is even a hint of Scrooge in your Christmas, attendance at any of the above guarantees it will vanish!
Masses for Christmas are at 4 and 6 on Christmas Eve and at 8, 10, and noon on Christmas Day.
Have a wonderful Christmas!