“Tis the season to be…jolly, busy, happy, stressed, loved, generous.” There can be various endings to this song lyric, but one that continues to come to mind during this Advent season is gratitude. As we continue to prepare our hearts, hallways, and homes for Christmas, it is so important to pause and reflect on the joy that is all around us. On Monday, 3rd through 8th graders received the sacrament of Reconciliation to prepare their hearts and minds for Christmas. Congratulations to our 2nd graders who made their First Reconciliation on Tuesday; we are so proud of them and honored to be part of their faith journey. St.Nicholas made his way to St. Barnabas this week and left candy canes for all Buckeyes. On Wednesday, our Kindergarten through 4th graders enjoyed singing along to Christmas carols at the Mother McAuley Christmas Concert. It was so fun celebrating so many incredible Buckeyes who were nominated for Pizza with the Principals for their hard work, behavior, positive attitude, and kindness - way to go, Buckeyes! Yesterday was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The 3rd graders did an extraordinary job leading a beautiful Mass honoring the Blessed Mother. As we continue with the fun and festivities of the 12 Days of Christmas, let us always remember the reason for the season! Have a great weekend, Buckeyes! - Mr. Jonathan Stack & Ms. Grace Sadowski 

NEW WEEKLY FEATURE

Do you occasionally miss some of the pictures we post on our social media? You can now view some of those pictures (and more) via our newsletter.

St. Barnabas School: In Focus is a new page for us to share some snapshots from the week. View them HERE!

THANK YOU

We are so grateful to the house hosts, sponsors, helpers, and the Men’s Club for their extraordinary efforts and talents in celebrating our 16th Annual Men’s Club Progressive Mixer. It was an incredible evening of community bonding and good fun. A special thank you to House Hosts - Michelle Brett, Tom Fiske, Gus & Christine Fuller, Kevin & Katie O’Kelly, and Drew & Colleen Youpel; Event Sponsors - Brother Rice, Marist, Mother McAuley, Mount Carmel, St. Ignatius, and St. Rita and Men's Club leaders - Patrick Doig, Matt Kreiter, Pat Wirtz, and Ted Kiper. It was a great day to be a Buckeye!

SICK PROTOCOL

As we enter the winter season, illness is on the rise. Contagious illness can spread quickly in school settings and we ask for parent/guardian support in helping to keep our students and staff healthy. If your child is experiencing any symptoms of illness, please keep them home. You may report the illness through our absence reporting form, linked HERE, or call Mrs. Sue Connolly at the Main Office 773-445-7711.  

BITTY BUCKEYES

Winter and Spring class registration is now open. Classes take place on Tuesday mornings and are open to our youngest Buckeyes (age 18 months - 3 years) and their caregivers. The 9:30am classes are now full, but a few slots still remain in the 8:15am classes. Don’t delay! Register HERE or connect with Katelynn Gill at bittybuckeyes@stbarnabasparish.org

CATHOLIC IDENTITY

Upcoming School Masses 

We hope you can join us for a few of our upcoming school masses on Tuesdays at 8:45am in the Church. Grades K - 8 will be in attendance.

• Tuesday, December 13 - Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass, led by Ms. Cloonan’s 2nd grade 
• Tuesday, December 20 - led by Ms. O’Neill’s 2nd Grade

Embracing Advent 

“Dear Jesus, you entered our world on Christmas as the Prince of Peace. This Advent, as we strive to become the best version of ourselves, fill us with a deep and abiding peace. Help us share that peace with everyone we encounter, especially those who need it most. Amen.”

Our students and staff can visit the beautiful Advent wreaths throughout the school to take a 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.

CHRISTMAS DRESS DOWN

We are off to a fun and festive start with the 12 Days of Christmas Dress Down. View the link to see next week’s schedule, which includes Christmas socks, Christmas accessories, dress clothes, and more! Please note - for safety, students must wear appropriate footwear. Backless shoes such as Crocs, flip-flops, and slippers are not permitted. Beginning Monday, students with improper footwear will need to call home and have new shoes brought to school. As always, dress-down days are optional, and students are welcome to wear their uniforms as an alternative.

DRESS DOWN Schedule

CHRISTMAS LUMINARIES 

There is still time to purchase luminaries for Christmas Eve! Last year over 10,000 candles were lit throughout our parish on Christmas Eve, and we are excited to carry on this beautiful new tradition. Please help spread the word and consider leading the efforts on your block.  Click HERE for the full details.

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

Adult and student volunteers are needed on December 13 and 18 to help prepare and distribute the luminary kits.  Student volunteers are eligible to receive service hours.   Click HERE to sign-up. 

CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

We are so excited about the upcoming School Christmas Pageant. Our students and staff have been working hard to prepare for this special event. In this student-led telling of the Nativity story, 1st-grade students serve as angels and shepherds, 5th-grade students serve as the choir, and 7th-grade students are the actors. Huge thank you to Mr. Rank, our pageant director, who is putting his incredible talents as a former actor to good use and to Mr. Hannigan, music teacher and professional musician, for directing the choir! All families are welcome to attend this moving retelling of the First Christmas on Friday, December 16, 1:45pm at Church.

Equal care and attention are in the works for the Preschool Pageant on Wednesday, December 21st at 10am and 7pm!  

STAFF STOCKING STUFFER

Many thanks to the FSA and Men's Club for coordinating the annual Staff Stocking Stuffer. As a school staff, we are grateful and humbled by the generosity of our families every year. Click for more DETAILS or contribute HERE on Membership toolkit.

ST BARNABAS IN THE NEWS

Did you see the recent article in the BAPA Villager profiling St. Barnabas? Thank you to our School Counselor, Ms. Jeanne Miller, for starting a peer mediation program here at school, and thank you to the volunteer student mediators who help to support their peers. We are all connected here as ONE Barnabas. Read the article HERE.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHT

5th-grade student, Sasha Chatz is performing in the Christmas production of the prestigious Joffrey Ballet Nutcracker. Sasha is a dedicated and talented dancer who has been dancing locally with the Dance Gallery for nearly eight years. This is her children’s cast debut in a Joffrey production, and she is performing in multiple roles: Rich Kid, Ragamuffin, and Rat. Congrats, Sasha, your dedication is an inspiration!

FSA EARN AND EARN

Order S&T Provisions pizza setup vouchers and $2 of every voucher sold will go back to the school! These are perfect for weekday meals, stocking stuffers, or a fun and tasty Christmas break activity. Each order contains three pizza crusts and all the fixings. S&T vouchers can be picked up at school on the evening of Monday, December 19, or sent home with your oldest child on Tuesday, December 20.  

Orders are due by Wednesday, December 14th. 

ORDER now on Membership Toolkit. 

SCHOOL BOARD SHARE

Introducing a new weekly feature from our board, “School Board Share.” In each issue of School News, the Board will share a few details to keep the larger school community connected to the initiatives of the Board.

The next Board meeting is Monday, December 19 at 7 pm in the Media Center. At the November meeting, the Board discussed the possibility of moving from an appointed Board to an elected Board, keeping the election process the same, or moving to a hybrid model. Further discussion will take place at the December meeting.  Several standing committees of the School Advisory Board, described in the Board’s BY-LAWS, are open to all members of the St. Barnabas school community. Those Committees include:

• Academic Excellence
• Equity and Inclusion
• Catholic Identity
• Marketing and Recruitment
• FSA/Events/Virtual Fundraising
• Community

If you wish to contact the School Advisory Board, please send an e-mail to schoolboard@stbarnabasparish.org.

SOUTHSIDE PARISH RENEWAL 

SPR has launched its new website! Check it out HERE to learn more and get involved.

PARISH NEWS 

Advent Eucharist Adoration

All are invited to participate in a pilgrimage throughout some of our southside Catholic Churches. The Advent Eucharistic Adoration begins at St. Christina Church on Sunday, December 11, and continues throughout the week, concluding at St. Barnabas Church on the evening of Thursday, December 15. CLICK here for the schedule and details. 

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

SWEETHEART SOIREE

Friday, January 20 from 7pm - 10pm St. Barnabas girls and their favorite date are invited to FSA’s “Dancing in the Moonlight” Sweetheart Soiree. View the SAVE THE DATE.