Week of December 14, 2020
DATES TO REMEMBER
THURSDAY, 12/17*
12:00 PM Dismissal

12/18 - 1/4*
NO SCHOOL- Christmas Break

1/5-1/8*
All School Remote Reset

FRIDAY, 1/8*
Sibling Applications Due

MONDAY, 1/18*
NO SCHOOL-Martin Luther King Jr Day

Click here for the Days-off and Early Dismissal Calendar.

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Principal Notes
Luke 2:1-20

The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Dear Parents,

I was thinking about what to write for my final Principal Notes of 2020 and I struggled. There is so much to say, but nothing to say that will change what happened this year. This week we would have had our Christmas Worship Service. At this service, our children sing Christmas songs and our 8th graders read the biblical story of Jesus’s birth. A felt compelled to include the bible story above because it is really all that does matter right now. I am keeping my heart on the hope that Jesus offers us and I invite you to try to do the same.
We are planning some changes for 2021 when you resume school. Third grade will be joining us on campus when TK through 2nd grade return on January 11. We’ve also planned some Mental Health Days for grades 4th through 8. These days will be remote learning free days when students will either have a guest health speaker online or come on campus for a special activity. I’ve listed the dates below so that you can plan accordingly. The dates only go through mid April but we will add more if we need to. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we don’t need to because we are all back on campus!   
Please stay safe over the Christmas break. I look forward with hope and anticipation for the day we are all together again. Until then keep your eyes on the birth of Jesus.

With love,
Jennifer
To download all forms and files together, click here.
Health
On-Campus Guidelines
  • Temperature checks and masks are required for anyone entering the school grounds.
What to Know This Flu Season
Flu and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. While it’s not possible to say what will happen, it’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both spread this fall and winter.

Protect yourself, your family, and your community against flu this fall and winter by getting a flu vaccine. Also follow other CDC recommendations to protect yourself from both flu and COVID-19.
Announcements and Events
4th-8th Grade Mental Health Days
January 15, Friday
February 4, Thursday
February 17, Wednesday
March 8, Monday
March 23, Tuesday
April 16, Friday

On Campus Dates and Times:

Friday, January 15
  • 8:15-9:00am 4A
  • 1:00-1:45pm 5A
  • 2:15-3:00pm 8A
  • 3:15-4:00pm 8B

Thursday, February 4
  • 8:15-9:00am 4B
  • 1:00-1:45pm 5B
  • 2:15-3:00pm 6A
  • 3:15-4:00pm 6B

Wednesday, February 17
  • 8:15-9:00am 4A
  • 1:00-1:45pm 5A
  • 2:15-3:00pm 7A
  • 3:15-4:00pm 7B

Monday, March 8
  • 8:15-9:00am 4B
  • 1:00-1:45pm 5B
  • 2:15-3:00pm 8A
  • 3:15-4:00pm 8B

Tuesday, March 23
  • 2:15-3:00pm 6A
  • 3:15-4:00pm 6B

Friday, April 16
  • 2:15-3:00pm 7A
  • 3:15-4:00pm 7B

When not on campus the day will include a health speaker and/or be a remote free day.
Directory Updates and FACTS
Do you need to update your home address, cell phone number, or email address? Please email Karen Conley, kcconley@stphiliptheapostle.org, for information changes.

Please remember to log into your FACTS account to update your information there as well.
Spread the word!
Our virtual Open House will be on Sunday, January 24, 2021. More information to come.

If you have friends or family who are looking at schools, be sure to let them know!
ParentPlus Mobile App: How to get Started
To set up the ParentPlus mobile app, you should download the app to your device and then register the app with your student's school.

Downloading the ParentPlus App:
The ParentPlus app for iOS and Android is available on the Apple App Store or the Google Play store. To locate the app, you can search for ParentPlus or Rediker.

Register a School in the ParentPlus App:
When you first open the app, you are prompted to enter your PlusPortals username to search for your school and register the app.
Before you can register a school in the app, you must activate your PlusPortals account on that school's PlusPortals website. After activating your account (or changing your password), you may experience a brief delay before the app recognizes your login credentials.

  1. In Username, type the PlusPortals username associated with your account. For parents and students, an account username is an e-mail address; however, for student accounts, schools have the option to assign a username. If you don't know your username, contact your school.
  2. Tap the search icon to look for our school.
  3. Select your school from the list and tap Register. If you have PlusPortals accounts at multiple schools with the same username, all associated schools appear in the search results. Select one school from the list.
  4. When prompted, type your password for the selected school, and then tap Login. You can repeat the registration process for each school that you want to add to the app. If you use the same username and password for multiple schools, each school is registered at the same time. Otherwise, you must repeat the steps above for each school.
PTO
Holiday Meals
PTO is happy to announce Holiday Meal purchases from NOOR Catering. The meals can be purchased for any Holiday Occasion. The minimum order for delivery is $250.00. Go to the NOORtogo website to view options. 
In order for St Philip to benefit, you will need to place orders through PTO. If interested, please email at pto@stphiliptheapostle.org  and let us know a good time to call you back to place order.  Orders must be placed six days prior to delivery date. The only date not available for delivery is Christmas Day.
Used Uniform
PTO is currently not accepting any used uniform donations. Please do not leave them at the school. 
Helping Hands
Helping Hands reaches out to school families in need of assistance due to hardship. If you are interested in helping, gift cards can be dropped off/ mailed to the school office to the attention of PTO Helping Hands, or email to ptohelpinghands@stphiliptheapostle.org. 

If looking to help a specific family during this time, contact Ana Shephard at ptohelpinghands@stphiliptheapostle.org for additional details. 
Reminders
Cancelled: The Polar Express
Due to the stay-at-home order, The Polar Express drive-thru event has been cancelled.
Tuition and Withdrawal
If a student is withdrawing during the school year, the school office is to be notified prior to the last day of attendance by written notification. Your family is still responsible for the full tuition amount, and fees must be paid before the last day of attendance to avoid delay in forwarding school records.
Sibling Applications
Do you have a little one who will be starting TK or Kindergarten next year?

The online application for the 2021-22 school year is now available on our website. Click the link for the School Online Application. Contact Karen Conley with any questions regarding the application process

Sibling Application Deadline: Friday, January 8th, 2021
Attendance
If your child will be absent, please contact Karen Conley.
Email: kcconley@stphiliptheapostle.org Phone: (626) 795-9691 ext 203
Grandparents to Receive the Newsletter and Falcon Wrap-Up
If you would like your child's grandparents to receive the Weekly Newsletter or the Monthly Falcon Wrap-Up, please fill out this form so that we can include them. Thank you very much!
After-School Activities
Golf Squad
Golf Squad winter for St Philip the Apostle will be hosted again at Altadena Golf Course and is for both new and continuing students and provides weekly opportunities for your child to learn the technical swing mechanics (i.e. putting, chipping, full swing, etc.) as well as the social skills required to enjoy golf, the clubs, and golf course (i.e. vocabulary, etiquette, rules, history, etc.) all under the instruction of an LPGA or PGA Professional.

Golf is a very challenging and fun sport that can lead to college scholarships. So start early and start now...boys and girls! Even if your child already plays, it is great to enjoy weekly, convenient lessons from the pro. (Click Here to read more on how and why your child can benefit from continuing professional, golf practice with Golf Squad at your school.)
Below is the St Philip the Apostle specific link with additional info and online registration:


We look forward to building the foundation to enjoy golf for a lifetime together!
Winter Crochet Class
Winter Crochet and Knitting Class registration is now open for grades 3rd and up! Check out the flyers for more below for beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes.




Parish News and Events
Help Needed for Annual Toy Drive
We are in desperate need of donations for the annual toy drive by this Wednesday! Please consider donating via the wish list link below. The item will be shipped directly to the Church if you use the link below.


Check out the flyer here.
St. Vincent de Paul
Click here for more information on upcoming events.
School Parent Rosary
Come pray with us! 

8:30am via Zoom on Thursday mornings. Parishioners (non-school families) welcome, too! 
Email Julie Schnieders at jjschnieders@yahoo.com for Zoom link to join or with prayer intentions. 
Community Events
Reflection of the Week

“The feast of Christmas reminds us that Jesus is our peace, our joy, our strength, our comfort.”
-Pope Francis
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