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Abby, Colin, and Sophia were recognized by the Prior Lake Optimist Club this week as young people with a sincere devotion to the welfare of others through their service, their willingness to take on projects, and their desire to improve our society and school environment. Way to go Abby, Colin, and Sophia!
In this update:
A letter from Mrs. Maxwell regarding our new mission statement.
Is gratitude in your Top 20 Toolbox?
Celebrate Advent with the school each Monday.
REMINDER: The WeatherBug says snow is coming! Please make sure your child is prepared for winter recess with boots, coats, gloves, and hats!
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 From the Principal's Desk
As part of a requirement for our Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (MNSAA) re-accreditation process, teachers and administration began reviewing our mission statement this past spring. We began by reflecting on our current mission statement and discussing if it still represented who we are as a parish school. We all agreed that while the current statement was a good reflection, we could do better.
Together, we charted out our school's attributes and purpose then broke into small groups with the goal of creating a stronger mission statement. Each group presented their statement and, by the end of the school year, we had narrowed it down to three. Lively discussion occurred this fall as we analyzed them and, in the end, we chose parts of each to create the following:
Shaping disciples of Jesus by igniting the spiritual, academic and
social growth within each child.
We chose to say we are "shaping disciples"; this statement flows out of our parish mission statement of making disciples. Together, parents and school staff shape our children into a disciple of Christ Jesus.
How do we do this? By igniting spiritual, academic and social growth. The flame on our school logo represents both the Holy Spirit and the flame of knowledge. The word "igniting" is a powerful statement of our beliefs and our academic excellence.
Lastly, notice the word "child". We debated between student and child, but in the end we felt that student represented just a portion of the whole person we serve. "Child" fit our mission perfectly!
This past month I presented our new mission statement to Father Tom, Parish Council, and the School Advisory Council. All approved and we hope you do too!
Blessings,
Laurie Maxwell
Principal
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Gratitude is Part of the Top 20 Toolbox
Learn more at our Top 20 Training Event! It is not just a program for schools, it is a way for families and communities to live. Start living the Top 20 way with us by attending this very important event.
Guiding Our Children through Life's Challenges:
Becoming the Best Version of Ourselves
5:30 p.m. Social and Dinner
6:30 p.m. Training Begins
St. Michael Catholic Church
Archangels Hall
Parents of ALL students preschool - 8th grade are invited to attend.
All 5th - 8th grade students are encouraged to attend. So we can plan accordingly, please let us know if you'll be in attendance. RSVP here.
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Advent Season
Advent begins on Sunday, November 27. Each Monday during Advent the entire school will gather in the gym for a brief prayer service. Parents are invited to join us. We will also have many opportunities for service and generosity.
Also, as you are preparing for winter, please save any outgrown gently used winter coats. Mr. Olson's class will again have a coat drive. More details to come.
Other ways to help:
The Giving Tree: The Social Justice Committee of St. Michael Catholic Church is sponsoring a Giving Tree for local organizations. The tree will be in the back of the church this weekend.
Sponsor a Family: Contact MaryPat Potts in the Parish Office (mppotts@stmichael-pl.org) by December 5 if you:
Need help? If you are a family who is worried that your family might have to "miss" Christmas, or if you know of someone who could use a little extra help in the way of gifts for their family's Christmas .. then we'd like to help!
Can Offer help? If your Family or your Organization would like to offer your help in supporting these families Christmas "wishes".
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The Spirit Wear Store is Open!
Shop online by clicking
here.
Place your order by November 20 to receive before Christmas. Please indicate in the comments section if the purchase is a gift and you can pick up in the school office. All other orders will be sent home with your student.
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Mad Science Returns in January!
Grades 1 - 5
Tuesday After School Program
Start your chemistry career off right with Mad Science's Crazy Chemworks. You'll explore the chemistry of everyday life through spectacular hands-on activities with real lab equipment. You will learn how to work in a lab, operate different lab equipment, tell the difference between acids and bases, identify chemical reactions, observe chemistry that happens in the blink of an eye, and bond molecules together in ooeygooey slime. You'll also explore the micro-world of molecular chemistry and delve into the secrets of hydrogen bonding. At the end of each class, you'll add to your own lab by taking home a Graduated Cylinder, pH Paper, Action Flask, set of Atomic Coins, Professor Beakerdude, and a batch of Mad Science Slime, created by you!
Register here.
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SAVE THE DATE:
The Blues and White Ball presents:
Denim, Disco, or Diamonds!
Find those platform shoes, dig that leisure suit out of storage, and get your bell bottoms ready! We are celebrating our school 70's style!
Denim or diamonds are ok too!
Saturday, February 4
The Wilds Golf Club
More details to come.
The planning committee is working on silent and live auction items and sponsorships. To donate, please contact Kris Hall at
hall@saintmpl.org or 952-447-2124 or Maggie Stack at
mstack@stmichael-pl.org.
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Scrip Special Orders
Did you know that Scrip gift cards make great Christmas gifts and also benefit the parish and school community? In addition to the many SCRIP retailer gift cards the parish and school offices already have on hand, special order gift cards are also available for purchase. A complete list of SCRIP retailers can be found on the school website at
http://www.saintmpl.org/scrip-gift-cards.
In order to ensure special order Scrip gift card delivery before Christmas, special order requests must be placed before 9:00 a.m. on Monday, December 12, 2016 for pick up in the school office beginning on Friday, December 16, 2016. All special orders must be picked up on or before Wednesday, December 21, 2016.
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AprilFest Kids Tent: AprilFest is St. Michael Catholic Church's Community Event. It is held the last full weekend in April. It is filled ith great food, music, fun, and fellowship. The Committee has started planning and is in need of a person or persons to manage the Kids Tent. The Kids Tent is filled with games and entertainment for our youth. Please contact Lauren Peters if you are interested or have questions. He can be reached at 612-751-9620 or
lauren.peters@mchsi.com.
Milk Moola Coordinator:
This is an easy at-home project you can do for our school.
Milk Moola®, brought to you by Kwik Trip stores is one of the easiest fundraising programs we have. Our organization earns 5¢ for every cap or bag top collected from Kwik Trip Nature's Touch® products. There is no limit to the amount of cash you can earn and you can use it for school trips, new books, or playground equipment, the possibilities are endless.
Please contact the school office if interested at 952-447-2124.
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Upcoming Events
| November 23 - 25 |
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NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break |
| November 28 |
7:45 a.m. |
Advent Prayer Service (parents welcome) |
| November 30 |
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High Honors Awards (7th and 8th grade) after Mass |
| December 2 |
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Spirit Wear Day! |
| December 2 |
6:30 p.m. |
First Reconciliation |
| December 8 |
8:00 a.m. |
School Mass: Feast of the Immaculate Conception |
| December 13 |
12:30 p.m. |
Christmas Program Rehearsal |
| December 13 |
6:30 p.m. |
Christmas Program |
| December 15 |
12:30 p.m. |
Band Christmas Concert Rehearsal |
| December 15 |
6:00 p.m. |
Band Christmas Concert |
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You can view the entire school calendar
here.
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