Wednesday Herald                                                           December 13, 2017
A Message From Mr. Stoops

As this is our last Wednesday Herald before some time off with family and friends, I wish all of our GA families a very blessed holiday season! We have many festive activities planned as we approach this joyful time, all helping celebrate the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our kindergarten students will proudly reenact the manger scene and sing beautiful Christmas songs during their pageant scheduled for tomorrow. This past weekend, the GA Christmas Concert displayed how musically talented our students are! Faculty members are also celebrating this wonderful season with door decorating and ugly sweater contests and were treated to a delicious cookie exchange from the PTA!   

This is truly a time to give thanks for all with which we are blessed. Thank you for sharing your children with us; their unique qualities make GA such a warm and welcoming place. 

I look forward to the return of students in January and the excitement of a new year!            
   
God Bless,
Corey
Wednesday Herald

You will not receive the next Wednesday Herald until January 10th.
All Sold & Unsold 365 Lotto Tickets Due This Friday, Dec. 15
 
The 365 Lotto is one of the PTA's biggest fundraisers and also gives you the opportunity to WIN MONEY! The 365 Lotto tickets are $20 each and there are only a limited number of tickets sold. There is a winner every day of 2018 beginning January 1 with different prize levels throughout the year. Please try to sell all four; they make great gifts as well! Additionally, tickets will be available for purchase in the Rectory, and in the school office. Cash or checks made payable to Guardian Angels PTA.
 
Thank you in advance, and best of luck!
 
For questions, please contact Melissa Clissold.
Please Check Lunch Accounts

We have numerous students with a negative or low balance on their cafeteria account. Notices have been sent home with children who have a negative balance in their account. Check your balance by clicking here .
 
Parents, please consider signing up on myschoolbucks.com. There is NO convenience fee for checking your child's account. It will allow you to do the following:
  1. Track your child/children's purchases.
  2. Set up a Low Balance Notification
  3. Add funds if necessary 
If you want to add funds via a credit card, you may do so on myschoolbucks.com.
**Please note there IS a convenience fee for using a credit card. To avoid the convenience fee, you may send in money directly to the cafeteria via check or cash.
School Office Volunteer Needed

The school office is in need of a volunteer to work the front desk to answer the phones and watch the front door. A volunteer is needed consistently on Thursdays and Fridays from 12:00-1:00pm. If you are interested, or have questions, please contact  Jill Buchmann .

Cheers to 125 Years! PTA's Annual Parent's Night Out Celebration is on Saturday,  February 10. Mark your calendar now for a fabulous night of friends, food, drinks and entertainment...GA PTA's largest fundraiser of the year! How can you help now? We are always looking for volunteers; if you're interested, please contact  Erica Monahan. 

The event committee is currently collecting items for the silent auction and the Cork Pull Game.  To donate items to the silent auction at the event, see the attached  Amazon Wish List . The gifts you donate will be delivered right to GA.

The Cork Pull game is always a big hit! Sign-up to donate to the Cork Pull here; please plan on dropping your donation off at any one of the Masses the weekend of January 6th or Jan 20th.  The PTA will have a representative selling tickets to the event.   

Thank you and CHEERS TO 125 YEARS!
Chipotle Fundraiser

Please plan on dining at Chipotle for dinner on Wednesday, January 17th. Chipotle will donate 50% of its sales made from 4:00-8:00pm to our 8th grader fundraising efforts for the trip to DC in the Spring. Bring the paper flyer with you, which is attached, or show it on your phone for GA to receive credit for the purchase. 
Dodgeball Is Back

It's BACK!!!  Reserve your spot now for the GA Annual Dodgeball Tournament!
 
When: Saturday January 20th, 2018, 6:00pm
What: Evening of friendly competition (adults only)
Cost: $25 person (includes drinks, appetizer, placement on a team)
Sponsored Families: Beerman, Skie, Noone, Hall, Waleskowsi, Byrne, Kelley, Tierney, Steinhaus, Fesenmeier
 
To register, go to www.gadodgeball.org (to register and pay by credit card) or send cash or check (payable to GA Parish) to the office (marked Dodgeball c/o Ellen Beerman).
 
No experience necessary to play. Teams will be formed randomly (Sorry, can't request/form your own team. We do our best to even out the playing field). You can also join as a spectator for $20 if you don't wish to play. Please send questions by emailing Ellen Beerman. Space is limited to 12 teams so sign up soon!
Winter Enrichment Opportunity

Better Babysitters   Grades 5-8
Would your child know what to do if the child he/she was babysitting was choking? Does your child babysit younger siblings? Your child will learn the skills needed to be a Better Babysitter!  Students will learn: first aid & safety; infant & child CPR with mannequin instruction; care of the choking child and infant; how to handle emergencies; creative problem solving; job professionalism and how to create a marketing flyer; hands on practice with diapering, bottle feeding and infant care; and creative age appropriate activities. 
Classes Meet:  Wednesdays 2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28 from 2:45 - 5:15pm
Fee:   $95 
More information is attached.
Other Upcoming Events

Fall Soup & Speaker Series: December 18
All parishioners are invited to join our Fall Soup and Speaker Series. The next event is Monday, December 18th. Soup will be served at 6:00pm in the undercroft; the presentation will follow. Come hear Fr. Sean Wilson share the life and experiences of Sts. Zelie and Louis Martin, the first married couple to be canonized together. Learn how they grew in love of each other and God despite great struggle, including the deaths of four young children and St. Zelie's early death to breast cancer. A flyer is attached .

Fathers Team Meets This Friday
Guardian Angels Fathers Team topic for Friday,  December 15 - Materialism and How Parents Can Fight It
Through group discussion and shared experience, this group of dedicated GA Fathers striving
all to be better Catholics, Husbands and Fathers will take up these questions from 6:05am - 6:55am Friday in Meeting room B (the undercroft next to school cafeteria). The group meets weekly. You can learn more on the   parish website.
A beautiful sunrise, hot coffee and meaningful conversation are promised to all who can attend.
Fathers Team will meet in a "lite" version on December 22nd and 29th to review the Sunday readings.
Upcoming School Masses 

Students will participate in an All School Mass on Tuesday, December 19th at 8:15am.

For a calendar of upcoming Mass times, log into your parent portal in  Rediker. Click on the Calendar, the box with the arrow, found on the right side of your home page. School Masses are shown in the light blue color. Or you can make a selection in the filter drop down, to the right above the calendar dates, to just show School Masses.
 
Parents and other family members are invited to attend any Mass your child will be attending. You are also welcome to bring any younger siblings with you.    
Other News & Announcements
Save the Date: Passion And Purpose For Marriage
Guardian Angels Parish's Fathers Team is partnering with IHM for an event for couples in January. Dynamic Catholic present  Passion & Purpose for Marriage on  January 13th. The event will be held at IHM from 9:30am-2:00pm and features Author/Speaker Dr. Allen Hunt. Participants will discover key ingredients to a healthy and happy marriage. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased  online. A flyer with more information is  attached. If you have any questions, please contact  Reid Rooney.
Save the Date: 2018 Family Mission Trip
The 2018 Family Mission Trip to Frenchburg, KY will take place on June 14-17. Mark your calendars now to join us as we spread God's love through action! Look for more details in early Spring. Questions? Email Anne Jones. 
Volunteer Opportunities
Photographer
Guardian Angels is looking for a skilled photographer to document wonderful things happening around our campus. You do not have to be a professional photographer, just someone who loves taking pictures and is able to capture great moments. The opportunities vary but include parish and school functions/activities and include weekend, evening, and daytime events. So there is an opportunity to fit any schedule! If you are interested, please contact Tiffany Strah. 
Heavenly Cafe
Parents are needed in the cafeteria to help wipe tables and assist children during their lunches. You can work once or twice a month or more, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. You are welcome to bring small children with you. All volunteers must be VIRTUS trained. If you are interested in volunteering in the cafeteria, please sign up via this link . If you have any questions, please contact  Katie Durstock .
Cookie Ministry
Guardian Angels School Cookie Ministry teams up with the Parish Parish Peanut Butter group to feed families in need. The Peanut Butter group makes 1,500 peanut butter and bologna sandwiches. GA students donate cookies. St. Francis Seraph Church in Over-the-Rhine gives the food to families in need. Students are asked to bring in two dozen cookies, brownies, or rice krispie bars on their classroom's designated day. They do need to be bagged, two treats per bag. All 2nd grade classes are responsible for the next donation on Monday, December 18th . All 1st grade classes are responsible for the donation on Monday, January 8th. A  complete schedule for the school year is attached.
Box Top Collection
The Guardian Angels PTA is collecting Box Tops from various consumer products. GA students can submit Box Tops to their homeroom teachers and all parishioners can drop off Box Tops in the special collection envelope located on the bulletin board in the Church Gathering Space.
The Box Tops are picked up at the following dates:January 25, February 25, March 22, and May 19.
We use the funds earned to purchase indoor recess games and outdoor recess equipment. Please start collecting Box Tops today and help us make this year even more successful! 
Have News To Share?
If you have information you would like to be included in the Wednesday Herald, please email it to   Tiffany Strah . Information must be received by Friday to be included in the next Wednesday Herald.
School Events Calendar
Looking for more information about upcoming events at GA? You can find a calendar in your Rediker Parent Portal. Log into your account, then click on the Calendar on the blue navigation bar. The calendar shows school events, parish events, and much more.  Just a reminder, events posted on the school website, www.gaschool.org , only include those open to the public or new families who may not have activated a Rediker account yet. All other event information is posted in Rediker, which is password protected.
Kroger Community Rewards
Have you signed up for Kroger Community Rewards and designated GA as your beneficiary? The more families who register, the more money our school receives through the program.
Kroger Community Rewards offers a great way for you to support our school's technology fund...and you don't have to spend a penny. Register your rewards card online and select Guardian Angels as your beneficiary. You can search for GA or use our NPO number, 80200. The amount Guardian Angels receives depends on the points our supporters rack up while grocery shopping. Enrolling does NOT impact the points you use to redeem for discounts at the pump. 
Like Us On Facebook
If you're on Facebook, that is a great place to stay up on the latest happenings at Guardian Angels School and Parish. We post information about upcoming events, ways to get involved, and share stories about news on our campus. You can find our Facebook page  here. 
In an effort to keep spam out of your newsfeed, Facebook changed how you see information from organizations and businesses. If you would like all of our posts to show up in your feed, click on the like button. A drop down menu will appear. Click on See First instead of default.
Have You Checked Out Formed.org
Guardian Angels invites you to explore all of the resources offered through  Formed.org  by registering with the parish code 4EVXRB. Registration is complimentary to all parishioners and residents of our parish area, so be sure to tell your friends. Great programs, videos, books and more are added every month. There are also a number of resources now available for children!
Growing In Faith
Growing In Faith is a monthly publication produced by a company in Virginia. It offers our parishioners advice for living the Catholic faith, guidance about prayer, insights into Catholic traditions, and explanations about seasonal feasts and celebrations. For the latest edition, click  here.
Other Opportunities For GA Families
Breakfast With Santa at Moeller High School
The Moeller Rugby team is hosting Breakfast with Santa at Moeller HS this Saturday, December 16th, from 9:00-11:00am. The cost is $6 per person; children under two are free.
Junior Rockets 7th/8th Grade Softball Team Forming for 2018 Season
Come join Junior Rockets 7th/8th Grade Fast Pitch softball team for its second season. Players are being taken from the McNick feeder schools and will be playing a 15 game schedule against other schools around the city. We plan on carrying 13-15 players. The season begins in early April but there will be workouts and open batting cage work beginning in January in the McNick Gym. Home games are played on the McNick Varsity Softball field.
Interested players should contact Junior High Coach Tim Ross at 513-615-0842 or Varsity Softball Coach Terry Doyle at 513-633-8402 for more information.
McNicholas HS Spring Bus Tour
Any women 21 and older are invited on a bus tour to Nashville in April. The ladies only event raises money for McNicholas High School Athletic Boosters. The event is April 27-29. A deposit is required to hold your reservation by January 5th. More information is attached.
Helpful Links
Have news to share? Send news or upcoming event information to Tiffany Strah.
The deadline to be published in next week's Wednesday Herald is Friday.
Contact
Corey Stoops, Principal
Katie Durstock, Assistant Principal
6539 Beechmont Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45230
513.624.3141
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