Dear SCBA Parents:
Happy New Year! While a month still remains in the calendar year, the Church is celebrating the beginning of a new Liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent this past Sunday. Advent — from the Latin phrase ad venio, “to come” — is the liturgical season anticipating the Adventus Domini, the "coming of the Lord”. While the days grow shorter and colder, we prepare for the “Son of Justice” who comes to kindle our hearts with his light and his love.
The Advent season is filled with preparation and expectation. Everyone is getting ready for Christmas - shopping, decorating, baking and cleaning. In the middle of all the bustle of the season, let us strive to keep Advent a season of waiting and longing, of conversion and hope, meditating often on the incredible love and humility of our God.
I am including an Advent Calendar for each week of Advent in the newsletter. There are wonderful discussion starters or activities for you to do with your family to celebrate Advent.
This Advent, SCBA has a great deal to be thankful for. Last spring, the state notified SCBA about a grant opportunity due to COVID-19 for non-public schools. SCBA received a gift of $400,000.00 from the state. The funds have been used to provide us with some new and updated technology in the building. In January 2021, all our 3rd through 8th grade scholars will have access to an IPAD and our Kindergarten -2nd grade scholars will have access to a classroom set of IPADS the classes can share! Teachers/classrooms received new monitors with casting opportunities from our new laptops and IPADS. We were able to get some new machines in the building to help with cleaning and sanitizing the building. Our resource room received $30,000.00 of materials we are using with our scholars to improve reading skills. Over Christmas break, each of our Kindergarten through 8th grade classrooms will be receiving new desks and chairs for each scholar. We will be busy moving the old desks and chairs out and bringing the new items into each room.
We also have an aide in 1st grade who is provided to us through this grant. SCBA has been blessed in many ways with this grant opportunity! God is good.
May your first week of Advent be filled with hope for what is to come!
Many blessings,
Dr. Hopson
