St. Louis Catholic School Newsletter
DECEMBER 20, 2019
A Message from the Principal...
Dear St. Louis Families,
 
What a blessing Christmas Break is! It is a reminder to all of us that the most significant event of mankind happened - - the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ! His birth is the gift of “Just One Yes.” Mary’s humble affirmative resulted in the gift of joy to the world—Jesus, our Savior! In Jesus, our faith is strengthened, our hope is raised, and our charity is ignited. I pray that all of you enjoy the Christmas break with your family and friends, and I look forward to being back with our students in the new year. 
 
Just a reminder that break begins today and goes through January 5th! The office and buildings are closed throughout the break. We will return to school on January 6th in grades K-8 and our preschoolers will return on January 7th.
 
Please make sure that your calendars are also marked for another short break in January. These days have been noted on the calendar since the summer, but we know that reminders are helpful. We have an 11:30 dismissal on Thursday, January 16th (there WILL be afterschool EDC that day); and there will be no school on Friday, January 17th. Our teachers will be joining together with a full overnight staff retreat in West Virginia. This is followed by no school on Monday, January 20th, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Because we understand that working families may need some assistance on these unusual days off, there is a Baroody Camp option to be held in McClunn Hall on January 17th.
 
Wishing you Peace and a Merry Christmas!
Anne M. Dyke
Principal
School Announcements
Weekly Prayer Intentions
Each day our school community prays for the intentions of our families. This week the following families were included in our prayers: Howard, Hunter, Hurley, Iannitto, Ilagan, Inners, Inselman, Jakubowski, James and James.
Have some news to share? Newsletter deadline is Tuesday. Please email your submissions to Mrs. Dyke ( adyke@stlouisschool.org ) and Mrs. Matheis ( development@stlouisschool.org )
Movie Night - January 10
Student Council will be hosting movie night for students in Grades 4th-6th on January 10, 6:30-8:30pm in the cafeteria. Tickets to view Megamind (PG) are $5 each. Please see the flyer for more information.
Baroody Day Camp - Friday, January 17
St. Louis School has teamed up with Baroody Camp to offer a day camp on January 17th. To register, please visit bc-alx-stlouis.jumbula.com . See the attached flyer for more information.
Annual Fund Year-End Giving - Last Call for 2019 Tax Deductions!
Donations are accepted throughout the school year. For 2019 tax purposes, only gifts received through PayPal Giving Fund between now and December 31st will be credited to 2019. There are no fees; we will receive 100% of your donation!
PTO
PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
SECRETARY
TREASURER
Spirit Dinner at Moe's - January 8
Our January Spirit Dinner will be held at Moe's Southwest Grill in the Mt Vernon Plaza! Come for some great Tex-Mex. It will be on Wednesday, January 8 from 5-9PM.  Please mention St Louis so we will get credit . We will get a 20% donated to the PTO. Come get some warmth and heat from the spicy food and help out the PTO.
Parish & Community
Christmas Mass Schedule
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Tuesday, December 24
4:00pm (Children's Choir) - Fr. O'Hare
6:00pm (Teen Choir) - Fr. O'Hare
8:00pm (Trumpet & Strings) - Fr. Andrew
10:00pm (Trumpet & Strings) - Fr. Mullaney
Midnight Mass at the Poor Clares Monastery - Fr. Jack Riley
* chapel seating capacity for only 100 people*

Wednesday, December 25
7:15am (Harp) - Fr. Andrew
8:45am (Trumpet & Strings - Fr. Mullaney
10:30am (Adult Choir, Trumpet & Strings) - Fr. O'Hare
12:30pm (Trumpet & Strings) - Fr. Mullaney
3:00pm (Spanish) - Fr. O'Hare
March for Life - January 24
On January 24th, our parish will be joining thousands on the National Mall in the March for Life. Any families with students in grades K-7 are welcome to sign their students out from the school office for the day to take them to the March, and it will not be considered an absence. A bus will be available and is leaving the St. Louis Church parking lot at 10:30am. Go to www.kofc5998.org for more information and to reserve your bus space.

**Any 8th graders who would like to attend the March may do so with our school staff chaperones, as long as they bring in a signed permission slip and a bagged lunch for the bus.
"How to High School" Workshop
7th and 8th grade students are invited to "How to High School" workshop at St. John Paul the Great HS on Saturday, Jan. 11, noon-4pm.
The workshop is free; RSVP at www.jpthegreat.org/apps/pages/middle_school_events .
Questions? Contact howtohighschool@jpthegreat.org
VIRTUS Session Scheduled at St. Louis - March 7, 2020
St. Louis will be hosting a VIRTUS session on Saturday March 7th at 9am. This is a great way to complete the training without having to travel to another parish. This training is required to be a chaperone or volunteer with students. Please visit  www.virtusonline.org  to register! Contact Ruthie Cody at protect@saintlouisparish.org with any questions.
Upcoming Calendar Events
December 2019 / January 2020
Dec. 23 - Jan. 3 - Christmas Break
Monday, Jan. 6 - K-8 Return to School
Wednesday, Jan. 8 - Spirit Dinner at Moe's, 5-9pm
Thursday, Jan. 9 - St. Louis Preschool Pop-in for Prospective Families
Tuesday, Jan. 14 - PTO Board Meeting
Thursday, Jan. 16 - 11:30 Dismissal (PM EDC open)
Friday, Jan. 17 - No School, Professional Development
Monday, Jan. 20 - No School, MLK Day
Tuesday, Jan. 21 - PTO Meeting, 7pm
Wednesday, Jan. 22 - Coffee with the Principal, 8:15am
Friday, Jan. 24 - March for Life (regular school day)
Sunday, Jan. 26 - Catholic Schools Week Mass, 8:45am
Sunday, Jan. 26 - Open House for Prospective Families, 10am-1pm
Jan. 26 - Feb.1 - Catholic Schools Week