SS. PETER & PAUL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER December 2018 Issue From the Principal: Dear Parents and Guardians, The holy season of Advent begins on December 2. We celebrate Advent and Christmas every year. Do we take the time to reflect on God’s presence among us? How prepared are we each day to celebrate the Kingdom of God? The days of Advent help us to prepare for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. We are reminded of God’s faithfulness and of how deeply committed He is to us. Advent is a time filled with God’s grace when we are invited to reflect deeply on His love for us and on His presence to us. May we find many opportunities during the next four weeks to grow in our relationship with God. During these weeks many things like candles, lights, trees, decorations, cards, gifts remind us of the secular aspects of Christmas. We are challenged to center our lives and hearts on Jesus, the reason for our celebrations. The committee of teachers planned Advent activities. The Advent traditions used with the students during the daily morning prayer include the Advent wreathe and the Jesse Tree. Daily Acts of Kindness will be recognized with a student receiving a paper ornament to put on a tree. The students will participate in a service project , collecting food for “Outreach. An Advent bingo will take place. Clues will be given each day during morning and afternoon announcements. Each classroom will have a board and work as a team to determine if they have the answer to a clue on their board. All of the students will receive an Advent calendar from Father Cole. Each classroom will set up their Advent wreathe. The Advent wreathe set up in the school on the hallway reminds us of the four weeks of Advent. The students will remember some of the key figures who prepared for the coming of Jesus by placing the symbols on the Jesse Tree. Our daily prayer in the mornings will center on people like Abraham, Isaiah, Jonah, David, Solomon, Jacob, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Joseph, and Mary. November 4-10 was National Vocation Awareness Week, a week during which special recognition is given to the vocations of priesthood and religious life. Fr. Cole worked with the students during this week on various activities such as reading a book to the students, making a Vocation mobile with some grades, playing vocation bingo, and praying for vocations each morning in the morning prayer time. Students in grades six-seven, and eight were at the Seminary and heard various speakers on the topic of vocations. Thank you to Fr. Cole for the many ways he engaged the students in thinking about their vocation and how we are called by God to want what He wants for us. The National Junior Honor Society is collecting small toiletries to for the Perry Housing Project. We thank the students in this society, as well as their advisor Mrs. Jurkowski, for their involvement in this service project. The students are encouraged to do good deeds during Advent. A Student Council has been formed and met with Miss Richardson during the week of Nov. 13. Two representatives comprise the Council from Grades 6, 7,8. We congratulate these students who have been selected for Student Council: Gr. 6—Natalie S., Veronica B., Gr. 7—Dylan Z., Isaac F., Gr. 8—Gavan S., Jason R. They are coordinating “Candy Cane Grams”, a great way to spread holiday cheer and a special treat that is delivered to a person of the student’s choosing. These “Candy Cane Grams” are purchased for $1.00. On a gift tag a name is written of the person receiving the candy cane, as well as a special note. Field trips for STREAM are being scheduled. Mrs. Knavel and Sr. Marilyn will be working on the grant for funding for STREAM. The application is due in January. The “X-STREAM Games and EXPO” will take place on December 2 at St. Joseph Collegiate Institute from 12 until 3:30p.m. Thank you to all the parents who help in our school in so many ways—the homeroom parents, the family who counts box tops with the students that help, the parents who volunteer as lunch monitors, the parents who help with various activities for the students, the parents who are the Parents’ Guild officers. Thank you to our coaches! Thank you to the parents who attend the meetings of the Parents Guild. If you have not attended, please consider attending future meetings. The Parents’ Guild meeting on November 14 was well attended and very productive. Thank you to the parents who attended the Student of the Month Breakfast in October, the Induction Ceremony for the National Junior Honor Society, and who helped to chaperone the Middle School Dance. Thank you to the parents who helped the teachers in the classrooms on Halloween. There was a great response to the service project for the Veterans—“Treats for Troops”. Thank you for your generosity to help those in VA Hospital in Buffalo and Niagara Falls Air Force Base. We are also very grateful for the work and advice of our School Board. The work of our Strategic Plan continues and a timeline has been set for the items listed in the Pillars. I remind everyone that Parent Teacher Conferences take place on December 10. Parents were able to sign up at the “Meet the Teacher” gathering in September. If you still need to schedule a conference, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher. It is important that parents are aware of their child’s work as seen on the Parent Portal. Many teachers e-mail parents about the work that needs to be handed in for specific subjects. Please refer to the December calendar for the many events taking place in the school: Mass celebrations, Advent Penance Service, Student of the Month Breakfast, Christmas concert, Santa’s Secret Shop, and more. The faculty, staff and I extend to you and your family wishes for a peaceful Advent, a blessed and joy-filled Christmas, and a New Year 2019 filled with many graces. We continue to pray for peace. God bless you! Sister Marilyn Ann Principal Continued next page
Transcript
SS. PETER & PAUL
SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
December 2018 Issue
From the Principal: Dear Parents and Guardians,
The holy season of Advent begins on December 2. We celebrate Advent and Christmas every year. Do we take the time to reflect on God’s presence among us? How prepared are we each day to celebrate the Kingdom of God? The days of Advent help us to prepare for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. We are reminded of God’s faithfulness and of how deeply committed He is to us. Advent is a time filled with God’s grace when we are invited to reflect deeply on His love for us and on His presence to us. May we find many opportunities during the next four weeks to grow in our relationship with God. During these weeks many things like candles, lights, trees, decorations, cards, gifts remind us of the secular aspects of Christmas. We are challenged to center our lives and hearts on Jesus, the reason for our celebrations. The committee of teachers planned Advent activities. The Advent traditions used with the students during the daily morning prayer include the Advent wreathe and the Jesse Tree. Daily Acts of Kindness will be recognized with a student receiving a paper ornament to put on a tree. The students will participate in a service project , collecting food for “Outreach. An Advent bingo will take place. Clues will be given each day during morning and afternoon announcements. Each classroom will have a board and work as a team to determine if they have the answer to a clue on their board. All of the students will receive an Advent calendar from Father Cole. Each classroom will set up their Advent wreathe. The Advent wreathe set up in the school on the hallway reminds us of the four weeks of Advent. The students will remember some of the key figures who prepared for the coming of Jesus by placing the symbols on the Jesse Tree. Our daily prayer in the mornings will center on people like Abraham, Isaiah, Jonah, David, Solomon, Jacob, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Joseph, and Mary. November 4-10 was National Vocation Awareness Week, a week during which special recognition is given to the vocations of priesthood and religious life. Fr. Cole worked with the students during this week on various activities such as reading a book to the students, making a Vocation mobile with some grades, playing vocation bingo, and praying for vocations each morning in the morning prayer time. Students in grades six-seven, and eight were at the Seminary and heard various speakers on the topic of vocations. Thank you to Fr. Cole for the many ways he engaged the students in thinking about their vocation and how we are called by God to want what He wants for us. The National Junior Honor Society is collecting small toiletries to for the Perry Housing Project. We thank the students in this society, as well as their advisor Mrs. Jurkowski, for their involvement in this service project. The students are encouraged to do good deeds during Advent. A Student Council has been formed and met with Miss Richardson during the week of Nov. 13. Two representatives comprise the Council from Grades 6, 7,8. We congratulate these students who have been selected for Student Council: Gr. 6—Natalie S., Veronica B., Gr. 7—Dylan Z., Isaac F., Gr. 8—Gavan S., Jason R. They are coordinating “Candy Cane Grams”, a great way to spread holiday cheer and a special treat that is delivered to a person of the student’s choosing. These “Candy Cane Grams” are purchased for $1.00. On a gift tag a name is written of the person receiving the candy cane, as well as a special note. Field trips for STREAM are being scheduled. Mrs. Knavel and Sr. Marilyn will be working on the grant for funding for STREAM. The application is due in January. The “X-STREAM Games and EXPO” will take place on December 2 at St. Joseph Collegiate Institute from 12 until 3:30p.m. Thank you to all the parents who help in our school in so many ways—the homeroom parents, the family who counts box tops with the students that help, the parents who volunteer as lunch monitors, the parents who help with various activities for the students, the parents who are the Parents’ Guild officers. Thank you to our coaches! Thank you to the parents who attend the meetings of the Parents Guild. If you have not attended, please consider attending future meetings. The Parents’ Guild meeting on November 14 was well attended and very productive. Thank you to the parents who attended the Student of the Month Breakfast in October, the Induction Ceremony for the National Junior Honor Society, and who helped to chaperone the Middle School Dance. Thank you to the parents who helped the teachers in the classrooms on Halloween. There was a great response to the service project for the Veterans—“Treats for Troops”. Thank you for your generosity to help those in VA Hospital in Buffalo and Niagara Falls Air Force Base. We are also very grateful for the work and advice of our School Board. The work of our Strategic Plan continues and a timeline has been set for the items listed in the Pillars. I remind everyone that Parent Teacher Conferences take place on December 10. Parents were able to sign up at the “Meet the Teacher” gathering in September. If you still need to schedule a conference, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher. It is important that parents are aware of their child’s work as seen on the Parent Portal. Many teachers e-mail parents about the work that needs to be handed in for specific subjects. Please refer to the December calendar for the many events taking place in the school: Mass celebrations, Advent Penance Service, Student of the Month Breakfast, Christmas concert, Santa’s Secret Shop, and more. The faculty, staff and I extend to you and your family wishes for a peaceful Advent, a blessed and joy-filled Christmas, and a New Year 2019 filled with many graces. We continue to pray for peace. God bless you! Sister Marilyn Ann Principal
Continued next page
Continued from front page:
PRAYER FOR ADVENT
As we begin our Advent journey, guide us, dear God of Love. Help us to recognize the great gift You have given us in Jesus,
and may we prepare well for His rebirth in our hearts. On each day of this journey, may we move closer to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the Light of the World.
Shine the light of Your grace upon us that we may follow Him faithfully. In our preparations for Christmas, may we always remember
that Jesus is the reason for this blessed season! Thank you, loving God, for this time of joy and expectation.
Walk with us and show us the way today and every day of Advent. Amen.
MISSION STATEMENT
“The mission of Ss. Peter and Paul, a Catholic Community School, is to transform the lives of our Pre K through eighth grade students by being rooted i9n Catholic tradi-
tion and Gospel values. In partnership with families, we promote faith, respect, charity and quality education as we prepare students to reach their potential in a nurturing
and challenging environment
“Let it be known to all who enter Ss. Peter and Paul, a Catholic Community School that JESUS CHRIST
is the reason for this school, the unseen but ever-present teacher in all its classes,
the model of its faculty, and the inspiration for its students.”
AT SS. PETER AND PAUL, A CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SCHOOL, WE…
continue spiritual growth and understanding of our faith nurture students in an atmosphere of kindness, love, and understanding instill respect for ourselves and others, for we are all children of God educate to the highest standards of learning develop the potential that lies within each student foster communication skills, creativity, and independence
Parents’ Guild Message
The school continues to shine and live up to its name of community school by continually bringing the community together through after school events. The school would not be what it is today if it weren’t for the families, especially the parents that give so much of their time and energy.
We cannot believe the holiday season is upon us. The kids are looking forward to Santa’s Secret Workshop scheduled for Thursday December 6, run by Sarah Freidrich.
We are so blessed to have the support of school administration, school board and many families. We wish everyone a joyous and blessed holiday.
SAVE THE DATE
New Fundraiser: Dine Around
Thursday November 29 Brunner’s Pizza, Hamburg
Wednesday, December 12 Parents Guild Meeting—6:30 p.m.
Please attend if you can, all parents get a jeans day pass for kids to use the next day!
Childcare is provided. The kids love to run around in the gym with their friends.
We encourage all parents to join us for these informational meetings. Remember, any parent attending gets a jeans day pass to be used the next day. Kids get so excited about that privilege!
Saturday, April 13 Spring Auction, Michaels Banquet Hall
Please join us for our 80’s themed auction!
The Parents' Guild would like to thank all the parents that help to make our school a success.
Faith Filled Christmas Season
Saint Peter and Paul School Community,
What I hear often from parents is that the Christmas Season is the easiest season to make the
faith come alive at home. So let’s take it up a notch by being intentional!
Idea: A Religious Gift
What gifts are you going to buy your youngsters that they will likely grow out of?
Certainly any type of clothing, toys get discarded with age, electronics evolve, and new video
game systems come out. What about a gift that builds faith? A gift that deepens faith is the best
‘bang for your buck’ since faith is the ONLY thing that traverses this life into the eternal. So in
addition to making sure we are intentionally living what we say we believe by attending
Christmas Mass, pulling out our manger sets, and praying before Christmas dinner, how about
a gift that reminds our children that we are disciples of the newborn King!
Ideas Include:
A Children’s Bible. I recommend The Catholic Children’s Bible by St. Mary’s
Press
Father Leopold Celebrates Mass Lego Set by St. Patr ick’s Guilt or available on
Amazon
A Catholic Video, then you can have family video night! For youngsters I
recommend Veggie Tales which is animated.
Does their bedroom have a crucifix or religious picture? (Jesus, Divine Mercy, Mary,
etc.)
Finally, a great book! A simple Google search of Catholic Children’s Books will
reveal a plethora to choose from.
Want more suggestions? Try a Google search of Catholic or Christian gifts or visit:
www.Autom.com.
As we progress though Advent, my prayer is we that we first and foremost prepare our
hearts for the birth and second coming of our Lord. If we are not inwardly disposed, what is
the point of all the externals which often cause the most stress anyways?! Such gifts, even
small (new rosary, bracelet, pin, or bookmark), are simply reminders of who we are and, most
Parents, I am finishing up Hearing and Vision Screenings and Re-screenings through next week before Thanksgiving Break. If your child had difficulties or I have concerns with your child's screening results, you will be contacted in writing from me (look for a notice on pink paper). Everyone did great and your children are amazing! I am praying they all stay healthy and have a great Holiday Season! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me. NOTE: My email has changed this year: [email protected] Sincerely, Andrea Gordhamer, BSN, RN School Nurse SSPP Hamburg Direct Phone Line: (716) 926-8536 Fax: (716) 312-9313
SS. Peter & Paul—Parent Referral Form Sarah Seweryniak, Marketing & Advancement
As we continue to move forward with our marketing plan, we invite you to work with us in this effort. Many of our present students were attracted to us because someone recommended us to them. As you think of friends, neighbors, relatives, and other families with whom you may associate, we invite you to write any prospective family’s name, address, phone number and any pertinent information about them on this form (like names and ages of children, place of business, etc.). We will send the family a letter with information about our school. If you permit, we would like to mention your name in the letter as the referring party. If that is not possible, then please indicate that below. Please feel free to duplicate this form if you think of more families. Feel free to send this information to [email protected].
Your Name: _____________________________________________
You may use my name in the referral letter _____ Yes ______ No
WANT TO EARN A JEANS DAY? Fill out the following form below for any families you may know of that are interested in our school. Once you turn it in, your child(ren) will receive a jeans day pass. Jeans day passes may not be used on Mass days or dress up days.
Saints Peter & Paul Parent’s Guild November 14, 2018 Welcome: Leslie Brooks Opening Prayer: Fr Cole Recording Secretary: Colleen Wheeler Attendance: Jessica Frampton, Leslie Brooks, Colleen Wheeler, Janice Adams, Kim Stiller, Sarah Seweryniak, Fr Cole, Sr Marilyn, Diane Liptak, Mary Rogers, Sharon McCarthy, Sandra Gullo, Jacque Partridge, William Geary, Rachel Mitchell-Spade, Nadine Schwanz, Sarah Friedrich, Melissa Barto, Kristen Galus, Michelle Hoff, Melissa D’Archangelo Vote on October Minutes: Leslie Brooks and Jessica Frampton Co-President Report: Leslie Brooks: Will cover in rest of Agenda
Treasurer’s Report: Kim Stiller: Operating Acct: $8,253.51/ Games of Chance: $38,797.35
Corresponding Secretary: Mary Rogers: Card to Danielle Bleecher and Lindsey D’Archangelo Principal Report: Sister Marilyn Ann: -Thank you for the parents for their work on the Middle School Dance, Oktoberfest, Trunk or Treat, Student of the Month Breakfast, NJHS Ceremony, Classroom events for Halloween, and donations for Treats for the Vets. -Events being planned for Advent. -Thank you to Father Cole for Vocation Awareness Week activities. -Student Council has been formed in Middle School Grades. 2 reps from each grade. -Still trying to fill vacancy from Mrs. Cleversley. Advancement Director: Sarah Seweryniak: -November 5th luncheon with neighboring pastors was cancelled - tentatively rescheduled for January 7th. -After the holidays will be launching the Remind App for families. Will have to opt into the app. Not meant for two way communication. Old Business: Oktoberfest: Melissa D’Arcangelo/ Jacque Partridge: Met Goal!! Ticket sales were strong with Parish, trouble with sales among student parents. Meeting as a team on Friday 11/16 to discuss a number of things- different day of week? Different weekend? Change food menu? Pizza Party Winner: Adam Rogers (2nd Grade) Trunk or Treat: Melissa Barto: Went well. Next year shortening to one hour. May sell pizza to help families who are setting up during dinner time.
SCRIP: Sarah Friedrich: Handed out Holiday Catalogs. Two more order before Xmas - 11/26 and 12/11. New Business: Santa’s Secret Shop: Sarah Friedrich: December 6th. 5 crafts. 3 graders and below will see santa. Dine Out: Mary Rogers: More to come Meat Raffle: Leslie Brooks: No dates available on Saturdays in our gym. Possibly another venue? Maybe move to a friday? Auction: Michelle Hoff/ Leslie Brooks: April 13th at Michael’s Banquet Hall. -Had first Gift Gathering Party, okay turn out. -Need to start earlier on planning -Gift Gathering Parties- will be reaching out to homeroom angels for gift gathering by grade Delta Sonic: Melissa Barto: Orders due Monday- November 11/19/18. Apparel Sale: Mary Rogers: Sale ends November 29th. Samples brought in For The Good Of The Order: Melissa D’Archangelo- 1st grade adopted 2 families. Response was overwhelming- anyone else interested?
Closing Prayer: Sr. Marilyn
Next Meeting: December 12th @ 6:30 pm (If the Xmas Concert is not Snow Dated)
