Joy is the theme of this third week in Advent, and we cannot think of a more fitting word for this time of year. There were endless moments this week that filled our hearts with joy. It was incredible to welcome so many of our extraordinary community and family members to our Christmas Luncheon on Wednesday, we are so proud of our 8th graders for their love and hospitality! The joy on the faces of all those who attended was contagious. As we continue to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, the St. Barnabas “Jolly Trolly” brings joy to our hallways as we thank our incredible staff for their love, hard work, and patience during this busy time of the year. This afternoon will, without a doubt, be joy-filled as we experience the story of The First Christmas at our pageant. It has been amazing to watch our students and teachers work together to make this beautiful tradition continue. There is so much to look forward to next week and beyond. If you have not already purchased Luminaries, please consider joining our community in this beautiful experience. As we enter the final week before Christmas, we want to thank our entire school and parish community for all the joy you bring to St. Barnabas. We are so proud to be Buckeyes! - Mr. Jonathan Stack & Ms. Grace Sadowski 

SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

This afternoon at 1:45pm is our School Christmas Pageant put on by our 1st, 5th, and 7th-grade students.  The touching retelling of the Christmas Story, accompanied by our beautiful student-signing voices, is not to be missed.

Parking is available on the east side of the lot, closest to Walden. The Church doors will open at 1:30pm and adult and family seating is available behind that student section.

SPIRIT WEAR and a VISIT WITH SANTA!

Check out the new spirit wear offerings in the Buckeye Shop - order now and receive before Christmas! Shopping and order pick up this Sunday, December 18, from 11am - 1pm in the Church Hall. There is even a limited-edition 2022 Christmas ornament designed by our incredible art teacher, Ms. Malinowski, and produced by the talented Katie O’Kelly, school parent and owner of Katie O’Creations.

Enjoy photos and treats with Santa in the Church Hall this Sunday when you pick up your order. If you cannot pick up your order this weekend, alternative arrangements can be made, please email Megan Kreiter at megan_leyden@hotmail.com.

Many thanks to all involved with this special Spirit Wear Holiday opportunity, especially Megan Kreiter for her continued enthusiasm and creativity and Sarah Cranley for her production expertise.  ORDER now in the Buckeye Shop.

CHRISTMAS LUMINARIES 

Thank you to our 8th-grade students and the parent and staff volunteers working diligently to organize the luminaries! Pick-up is this Sunday, December 18, from 11am - 1pm in the parking lot. If you still need to order, you may purchase an individual house kit or complete block kit on Give Central.

• Order a Block Kit for $250
• Order an Individual House Kit for $25

Questions can be directed to Mrs. Molly McGowan at mmcgowan@stbarnabasparish.org or Katie O'Connell Morgan at komorgan@yahoo.com.

CATHOLIC IDENTITY

School Mass 

All are welcome to join in our final school mass of 2022 on Tuesday, December 20, at 8:45am, led by Ms. O'Neill’s 2nd Grade homeroom. After mass, all are invited to Christmas Around the World, presented by our Student Culture Club, in the Church Hall.

Embracing Advent 

Our students and staff are invited to visit our beautiful school advent wreaths in their classrooms and throughout our school to pause and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Each week, there is a special prayer, and the students are encouraged to share their intentions and prayer as they participate in the candle lighting. We welcome you to share in this meaningful activity in your own homes.

Our Advent prayer of the week - “Dear Jesus, help us focus on you during this busy season. May we stay aware of the joy you bring into our lives. We want to find you in the everyday moments and come with hearts of gratitude to your manger on Christmas. Amen.”

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD

Join the School Culture Club for their Christmas Around the World gathering. Students and families are invited to see the wonders of Christmas as shared by Culture Club on Tuesday, December 20, 10am - 12pm in the Church Hall.

PRESCHOOL PAGEANT

We look forward to the Preschool performance of The Story of the First Christmas on Wednesday, December 21st. The 10am school day performance has limited seating for adults. The 7pm evening performance has ample seating and viewing for friends and family. A reminder to 4th-grade families, the 4th-grade students will be joining their preschool buddies for the final song during the school day 10am performance!

CHRISTMAS DRESS DOWN

We are heading into our final week of 12 Days of Christmas Dress Down. This festive activity has been a joy to see, thank you again to our Student Council for organizing. View the link to see next week’s schedule, which includes ugly sweaters, Santa hats, and more! As always, dress-down days are optional, and students are welcome to wear their uniforms as an alternative. DRESS DOWN Calendar

SWEETHEART SOIREE

Tickets are now available for purchase for the Sweetheart Soiree! Daughters and their date, bring your dad, uncle, or any special guest to celebrate this special night on Friday, January 20, 7pm - 10pm in the school gym. $35 for a pair of tickets (1 daughter + date), additional guests ticket for $5 each. ORDER today on Membership toolkit.

PARISH NEWS 

Taize Prayer

Please join us in an evening of Taize prayer, on Thursday, December 22 at 7pm at Church. Curious about Taize? Taize Prayer is a simple, meditative form of worship that uses mantra songs, prayerful silence, and short readings in a candle-lit environment. It is named for the Christian community that was formed during World War II in Taize, France. The calming, spiritual environment is a welcome blessing to many in the busy days that often surround us in December. INVITE

Christmas Mass

There are four scheduled masses in honor of Christmas, we look forward to seeing many of our school families at one of the special masses.

• Christmas Eve: 4pm (with 3:30pm music prelude music by our Children’s Choir) and 10:30pm evening mass.
• Christmas Day: 8am and 10am (with 9:30am music prelude by the Adult Choir)

SOUTHSIDE PARISH RENEWAL 

Southside Parish Renewal has launched its new website! SPR was created as an outgrowth of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Renew My Church process. It is a partnership between four vibrant southside parishes - St. Barnabas, Christ the King, St. Cajetan, and St. John Fisher. The goal is to strengthen the faith lives of Catholics in our community by addressing the reasons for the increased disengagement from parish and faith life. Check out their website HERE to learn more and get involved. 

SCHOOL BOARD SHARE

The next Board meeting is Monday, December 19, at 7 pm in the Media Center.  

The School Advisory Board would like to wish all of our teachers, staff, and administrators a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. You've all done a wonderful job this year, and we appreciate all of you very much. In addition, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to our students, parents, and guardians. Without all of you, St. Barnabas couldn't be the successful, nurturing, and educational environment that it is. Good things are coming in 2023!

There are several committees of the School Advisory Board that are open to all members of the St. Barnabas school community. We encourage you to support one of these volunteer committees: Academic Excellence, Equity and Inclusion, Catholic Identity, Marketing and Recruitment, FSA/Events/ Fundraising, and Community Involvement. 

Email the School Advisory Board at schoolboard@stbarnabasparish.org to become involved!

CONGRATS TO VOLLEYBALL!

8A Girl Volleyball won the Marist RedHawk Volleyball Tournament this past week. Congrats to our dedicated athletes and coaches on their big win!

SCRIP TUITION SAVINGS

Find holiday gifts for everyone on your list while giving yourself the gift of earning tuition credits! Shop the Holiday Gift Guide HERE, or keep it simple and purchase gift cards, they always make a great gift! Extra earn bonuses are being offered every day, don’t miss out!

The final day to order before Christmas break is Monday, December 19th, at 9am. Scrip will resume on January 9, 2023. Questions - scrip@stbarnabasparish.org

A complete list of Scrip vendors can be viewed HERE.