God, With Us. Come!

 

O come, Emmanuel. Come into our world and bring Your peace!

Come into our lives and grant us your favor. Come into our homes with Your love.

Stay with us, Lord Jesus, throughout these days of Advent. Be with us wherever we go, be with us in whatever we do. Prepare us for Your birth. May Your birth enlarge our hearts. May we prepare a place for You there.

Jesus, make room within our hearts for others.

May your birth awaken us to the Good News!

Jesus, make us worthy of You, O Lord, Emmanuel...God with us. Come

Dear Families,

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. I was so grateful to have my daughter home and to spend time with my family and friends.

This Sunday marks the beginning of the season of Advent. As a school, we will celebrate this season by preparing our hearts for Jesus. Beginning on December 6 ^th and every Wednesday until break, we will meet in the hall for an Advent Prayer Service. This will take place directly after morning assembly and all are welcome to join.

Book Fair: The Book Fair is now open! Come by between 2:30-6:30 any day this week. A book makes a great holiday gift! Check out the flier in today's family envelope for more information and other ways to shop and support the school.

Adopt a Family: Next week, we will kick off our annual Adopt a Family program. During the season of Advent each year, SPN collects items such as blankets, books, clothes, etc. for local charities. Each class is assigned specific items and we ask every family to participate. Look for details next week!

Breakfast with Santa: This annual event will be held on December 10, from 10:00am to Noon. Make your reservations now by completing the flier provided in today's family envelope. Bring the whole family! Thank you to the PTG for this fun holiday tradition. You may also download the flier here.

Directory: The school directory is now available. Each family will receive one copy today. Thank you to Angela Brahm for taking charge of this project.

Christmas Concert: Our annual Christmas concert is on December 20 ^th . Please remember this is a mandatory event for all students. It is truly a magical way to begin our Christmas break.

Incoming Siblings: Enrollment for next year is now open for K and TK. Please remember to enroll your sibling now. The deadline for application for all new students is January 31st. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Keast.

Wait Until 8 ^th : After the Parent Ed night on Reclaiming Childhood in the Digital Age,

several parents are interested in participating in the Wait Until 8 ^th national program. The idea is to wait until the 8 ^th grade to provide your child with a smart phone. Here is a link for more information: https://www.waituntil8th.org/. I am interested to hear your thoughts on this movement.

8th Grade HS Application: Please scroll down to read important news from the high schools.

Have a blessed week,

Jessica Murray

SPN's annual Book Fair is happening now through Friday! Visit the Book Fair to find wonderful books and gifts for your child(ren), friends, and family. There is something for everyone. Also, help build your child(ren)'s classroom library by purchasing books from their classroom wish list. 

We will also have a variety of activities that students can participate at the Book Fair to win prizes. Plus, the class with the most attendance at the Book Fair will win the Principal's Challenge, which is Free Dress for the whole class.

Book Fair Dates & Hours:

If you are unable to attend the Fair in person, we invite you to visit our  online Book Fair from Nov. 18 - Dec. 8 at  http://www.scholastic.com/bf/spnalameda.

Before you visit the Book Fair, be sure to download the  Book Fairs app to help you find the right books for your child. For more information, go to:  scholastic.com/bookfairs/app.

December

3 - 1st Sunday of Advent

5 - Christmas Craft Day

6 - Advent Prayer Service

6 - Information Night for Prospective Families

8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception/All School Mass, Full uniform required

10 - Breakfast with Santa

Share and Care will not be available after school on December 21st - Noon Dismissal Day.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT HSPT!

For students applying to any of the East Bay Catholic High Schools

Register for HSPT - Register for HSPT using this link.

The test will be held on January 20, 2018.

Alameda High School

9 ^th Grade AHS Showcase for Prospective Students

Wednesday, December 6, 7pm

Larry Patton Gym

Classroom Tour – Dember 7-December 13, 8:15am to 9:30am

Call to reserve a space to attend a tour – 510-337-7022 ext. 0

8 ^th grade students must be present with one parent to attend a tour.

Holy Names High School Admissions Calendar

9/1/17: Applications Open, HSPT Registration Opens

12/8/17: Achieve Application Deadline

12/13/17 @ 5:30pm: Application Workshop (RSVP at admissions@hnhsoakland.org)

1/10/18: HNHS Application Deadline

1/13/18: HSPT Registration Deadline

1/20/18 @ 8am: HSPT Exam on HNHS Campus

1/30/18 @ 5:30pm: Financial Aid Workshop for New Students ( rsvp at admissions@hnhsoakland.org)

2/2/18: DUE - Financial Aid Applications, Recommendations, Transcripts, Grades, LD Documentation

3/16/18: Decision Notifications

3/23/18: DUE - Registration Documents & Fees

Saint Joseph Notre Dame

RSVP FOR DECEMBER OPEN HOUSE

SJND UNDER THE LIGHTS

December Open House

Tuesday, December 5, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

You are invited for one more chance to visit SJND this admissions season and learn more about what sets our school apart from other Catholic college preparatory high schools. Join us for holiday cheer and experience our beautiful campus “Under the Lights!” RSVP for this event.

Parish News

Crèche Festival

For all Christians, the most familiar scene at Christmas time is the crèche, with the mother and father protectively watching over their newborn, surrounded by animals and kneeling shepherds. Above them on the evening sky, shines a bright star! The origin of the crèche comes from St. Francis of Assisi, who in 1223 presented a beautiful representation of the nativity scene based on the gospels of Matthew & Luke. Each of these gospels tells the story of Jesus’ birth from a different perspective. Luke’s gospel portrays Jesus as the universal savior. Matthew’s version shows that Jesus is the long-awaited and promised Messiah. Put together, we get the traditional scene of Christmas crèches passed down from generation to generation. Our parish Crèche Festival is coming up! If you would like to bring a crèche to be displayed, please bring it to O’Brien hall on Dec. 16 between 1 - 4pm and set it up yourselves on the table. The crèches will be on display after masses on Saturday, Dec. 16 & Sunday, Dec. 17. If you have any questions, please call the parish office. Thank you. 

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Schedule of Masses

Thursday, December 7 @ St. Philip Neri, 7:00 pm Vigil Mass 

Friday, December 8

7:30am and 6PM @St. Albert the Great

8:30am @ St. Philip Neri, 8:30 am

A lameda Recreation and Parks Department

Free Movie - Starlight Movies in the Park

Friday, December 1st, College of Alameda

Featured Movie - Elf, Starring Will Ferrell, Rated PG

Read the flier here.