One of the most important seasons in our church calendar, the Season of Advent, began this past Sunday. This season is a time for all of us to prepare for the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. Christians prepare for celebrating the birth of Jesus by remembering the longing of the Jews for a Messiah. In Advent, we’re reminded of how much we ourselves also need a Savior, and we look forward to our Savior’s second coming even as we prepare to celebrate his first coming at Christmas. God wanted so much for us to be with him that he became one of us. This is the greatest Christmas present – God’s presence on earth. In the liturgical calendar the season of Christmas begins on Christmas Eve and lasts through the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. Please help your children understand the symbolism of the Advent Wreath and the importance of the true meaning of Christmas. Each Monday in December we will begin our school day with an Advent Prayer Service in the gym. Parents and other family members are welcome to join us at 8:10am.
DECEMBER 8th: We look forward to seeing you all here this Sunday. We will begin the day with a 10:00am Family Mass where we will present all our Confirmation and First Communion Candidates. Monsignor Labib generously allows the school to receive the proceeds from the second collection when we have Family Masses. Be sure to pick up the special collection envelope for your use at Sunday’s Mass. Following the Mass, the Parents’ Club will present a Pancake Breakfast in Carroll Hall. They will also offer pictures with Santa. Please use the flyer enclosed in your envelope today if you have not already made a reservation for the pancake breakfast.
Next Monday, December 9th, we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The title of Immaculate Conception recognizes Mary’s privilege of coming into the world free from sin. Through the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, every human can be freed from sin at Baptism. Through that same power, Mary was always free of sin, even from the very first moment of her life. Please join the student body at Friday’s 8:30am Mass as we prepare to celebrate this special privilege given to Mary.
SANTA’S SECRET SHOP: The Parents’ Club presents their annual Santa’s Secret Shoppe starting tomorrow, Thursday, December 5th. Over the next two days, all the students will have an opportunity to purchase gifts for parents, friends and relatives. Each student should use the envelope they received earlier this week to help them plan their shopping and to keep their money safe.
PARENTS CLUB MEETING: Please consider joining us for our Parents’ Club meetingtomorrow night in Carroll Hall. The social hour begins at 6:45 and at 7:15 we have our very own Becky Wong, technology coordinator, provide in depth information on the iPad roll out program for 6th, 7th and 8th grades that begins in January.
PEANUT BUTTER FRIDAY: As a reminder, we are collecting peanut butter for the St. Vincent de Paul society. If we reach our goal of 500 jars of peanut butter by next Friday, December 13th, the student body will enjoy free dress on Friday, December 20th. Please send a jar (or two!), any kind, any size with your child by Friday, December 13th. Current count: 350!
PROGRESS REPORTS: Progress Reports are going home today. Again this quarter, all students, fourth grade and up, are receiving such a report. These progress reports show a snapshot of the student’s current academic standing with optional comments from their teachers. The grading scale is available here. As a system default, art, PE, music and tech will show P/100% for students who fully participate. Grades 6-8 progress reports will show N/A on Electives for this quarter. A grade will however show on the second quarter report cards. Students in the lower grades with behavior and/or academic concerns may receive a progress report if the teacher has concerns in these areas. Please sign and return the progress report by Friday, December 13th, so that we know you have received the notice. If you wish to keep a copy of the report, you may make a copy of it before you return it to us.
FROM THE SCIENCE LAB: Today our 7th graders, in conjunction with the Academy of Sciences, participated in an online discussion with Dr. David Blackburn about the evolution and distribution of frog species in Africa. During this 30-minute program, students had the chance to ask questions to an Academy scientist. Dr. Blackburn talked with students about the origin and spread of chytrid fungus, a major threat to frog species worldwide. This great opportunity allowed students to learn more about the questions researchers are trying to answer, the places they explore, and the organisms they collect. Students were very excited to have this opportunity.
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: On December 17th, our students will present their Christmas Program and will sing a selection of favorite Christmas Carols. All students will be involved in this production. Students should wear dressy clothes unless notified otherwise by their teacher. No t-shirts or sweats please. The front door of the school will open at 6:15 pm to allow students to enter their classrooms. Students are asked to line up on the sidewalk in an orderly manner until the doors open. Families with preschoolers will enter through the side gate and drop their children in their classroom. All students need to arrive by 6:30 pm at the latest. The yard will be open for parking at 5:30 pm. Again this year, we will present the program in the church. We ask that everyone respects the 5:30pm Mass that evening and remain outside the church until Mass is over. School staff will be stationed at the church doors and will let you know when you may enter. Parents may line up at any of the three entrances. We will begin the program promptly at 7:00 pm. We are asking that everyone attending this fun event considers bringing one or two new, unwrapped toys as part of our toy drive for needy children. We look forward to your attendance for this faith-filled and fun-filled production. Everyone is welcome!
CIOPPINO 2013: Ask anyone who has been to St. Thomas More School's Annual Cioppino Dinner and Silent Auction and they will tell you it is more than a meal – it is a night to remember! Save the Date: Saturday, February 22nd, 2014. The evening begins at 5:00 pm with appetizers and a no-host bar. While you're enjoying North Beach's finest focaccia (pizza bread), our kitchen crew's famous meatballs, prawns or one of our other mouth-watering appetizers, you have the chance to bid on some of our wonderful auction prizes, buy a key to our treasure chest, purchase raffle tickets, or a balloon with an instant winning prize number inside. Or simply mingle with friends while you wait for dinner: succulent salad, delectable antipasto, heavenly garlic bread and the best Cioppino to be had anywhere. Don't like seafood? Order a chicken entrée instead. But don't miss this great event. And don't forget to save room for dessert! Complete the evening with dancing. And all this for only $50.00! Babysitting is also available on site! This event is our biggest fundraiser of the year so check out both sides of the enclosed flyer and reserve your tickets now. For more info contact Linda Shah at lp1114@aol.com or Anarose Schelstrate at anarose0707@gmail.com. This event, like all events, is only successful with schoolwide participation. We look forward to seeing you there!
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FEE/TUITION: This fee, as described in the financial policies is in support of the construction and maintenance of the classroom additions and the gymnasium. The fee is set at $350 per family. As a reminder, the Capital Improvement fee must be paid in full by Friday, December 13th. A reminder that the December payment is now due for those of you on the monthly tuition payment plan. Also, the quarterly payments are due no later than December 15th.
STM WARRIORS NIGHT: Announcing the 2014 STM Warriors Night! Join your classmates on Friday, January 24th at 7:30pm as the Golden State Warriors face the Minnesota Timberwolves! Tickets are $32 and will sell out quickly! Twenty lucky students who plan on attending will get the chance to participate in the High Five Fan Tunnelduring the game! To order tickets, fill out the form online at http://tinyurl.com/
RAFFLE FUNDRAISER: Our participation in the Asian Heritage Street Celebration Raffle Fundraiser raised $256. We also received a certificate of honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for our participation. Thank you to all who supported our Asian Heritage Street Celebration Raffle Fundraiser last year.
STUDENT SAFETY/EXTENDED CARE: Students checking in to the afterschool extended care program must do so at dismissal or directly after their afterschool activity (sport practice, detention, homework club, etc.). Once a student leaves the campus, they are no longer covered under the school’s insurance. For the safety of your child, if at anytime you believe you may be running late for pick-up, just call the school office and ask to have your child placed into extended care. Basketball practices have begun so just a reminder that coaches may sign children out from Extended Care but only if they have been authorized by the parents in advance to do so. If you want your child’s coach to be authorized to sign him or her out of Extended Care, and have not already specified so on your Extended Care Authorization Form, then please send Mr. Kavanagh an e-mail at JKav@stmsf.org requesting to amend your form to include specified basketball coaches.
Just a reminder that Christmas vacation starts at 12:15/12:30pm on Friday, December 20th. There is no extended care that day, so plan ahead.
As some of you know, Russell Brown, father of Patrick, class of 2013, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, November 26th. A memorial service will be held at Duggan’s Serra Mortuary tomorrow, December 5, at 11am. Some staff member and upper grade students will represent the school at this service. All are welcome to attend. Please continue to keep Patrick and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
And finally, thank you to all who supported this year’s hoop-a-thon. Your donations and pledges raised over $5,400 for those affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal
