December 7, 2023

Dear St. Louis Catholic School Families,

I hope this message finds you well and filled with the warmth of the Advent season. This week has been particularly special as it includes one of my personal favorite feast days---St. Nicholas Day! We witnessed (and heard) the pure joy and excitement of our students during St. Nicholas Day. It was heartwarming to see them eagerly checking their shoes for candies and little goodies. These moments of shared joy truly capture the spirit of our St. Louis community.

As we embrace the beauty of the Advent season, I am reminded of the significance of the first week for Catholics. It marks the beginning of a period of reflection, hope, and anticipation. As a school community, we gathered Monday to light the first candle in the Advent wreath which is typically referred to as the "Prophecy Candle" because, it represents the prophets in the Old Testament who foretold the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Over the coming weeks, we will be focusing on the true meaning of Advent – a time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

In the words of the beloved Saint Teresa of Calcutta, "Joy is prayer; joy is strength: joy is love; joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls." We are striving to cultivate joy in our hearts, and share it with others during this Advent season.

I would also like to extend an invitation to our upcoming event, Lessons and Carols, scheduled for December 12th in McClunn Hall. This promises to be a beautiful evening filled with music, reflection, and community spirit. As we have a robust enrollment this year, we kindly ask families to be mindful of space limitations. Your support and understanding in this matter are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for being an integral part of our St. Louis Catholic School family. May this Advent season be a time of joy, reflection, and togetherness for you and your loved ones.

Blessings,

Anne Dyke

Principal

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Just a note about Lessons and Carols. Last week, Father O’Hare and I agreed that we would like to have the program in the church. Unfortunately, logistical challenges prevented that from happening this year, but we look forward to having it in the church next year.

Lessons and Carols - December 12th

Kindergarten - 5th Grade students will be presenting our traditional "Christmas pageant" Lessons and Carols on Tuesday, December 12th at 7pm in McClunn Hall. Kindergarten-4th grade students should plan to wear their Christmas Sunday Best (no jeans. leggings, and accessories with bells, lights, antlers, hats, etc. please). Fifth grade students will be presenting the scripture lessons in costume. For more information about this special evening, please refer to the email sent earlier this week.

Christmas Lights Tour THIS SATURDAY!

Join us in spreading holiday cheer with the 4th Annual Christmas Lights Tour on Saturday, 6-7:30pm. Plan to stop by the school to admire the class-decorated trees, visit with Santa, sing carols with our student choir, sip hot cocoa, and pick up your cookie orders. Be on the lookout for an email on Friday with more info. and Christmas lights tour routes.

StudyPro Webinar - Dec. 14th

In December's Learning from a Distance webinar, the StudyPro's Debbie Rosen and Lindsey Thoms, M.Ed. will present "How Executive Function Skills Improve Student Success" on Thursday, December 14th at 9am. Register here.

Topics covered include:

1. What Executive Function (EF) skills are and why they matter.
2. How to recognize an improve "missing skills" behind common school challenges.
3. How to partner with your student to support them the "right way."

jcotnoir@stlouisschool.org | tmiller@stlouisschool.org | coconnor@stlouisschool.org