December 14, 2023 Newsletter

St. Louis Catholic School Newsletter

December 14, 2023

Dear St. Louis Catholic School Families,

Happy Thursday! We continue our journey through the beautiful season of Advent. The second candle symbolizes peace and is lit to remind believers of the peace that Christ brings into the world. In a world that often seems hurried and chaotic particularly at this time of year, it is especially poignant to take a moment to embrace the peace that Christ offers. This week, as a school community, we reflect on the values of harmony and goodwill toward all.

Sunday is Gaudete Sunday and is a time of great rejoicing. The rose-colored candle on our Advent wreath symbolizes the joy that comes with the anticipation of Christ's birth. We look forward to lighting the pink candle Monday during our school assembly.

A special thank you to all who joined us for the Lessons and Carols performance Tuesday evening. It was a joyous celebration of the season, with our students’ voices raised in song and hearts united in the telling of the nativity story. The simplistic yet profound message behind the performance serves as a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are grateful to Mrs. Fonda, Mrs. Reeder, Mrs. Cotnoir, and the 5th grade teaching team of Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Coyle-Cucinotta for their excellent work in making this evening possible. It was so nice to see many families stay for cookies and cocoa afterwards.

I am sure that students and staff alike know that next week is a shorter week. On Tuesday, we invite all students to wear their most festive Christmas socks and red, green, or white shirts with their uniforms, bringing a touch of holiday cheer to our hallways. Wednesday will truly be a day of comfort and joy as students are encouraged to wear their favorite pajamas for a Polar Express-themed day, complete with caroling to spread the Christmas spirit. We will dismiss for the Christmas break at 11:30am on Wednesday.

May the light of Christ illuminate our hearts, bringing peace, joy, and hope to our lives and the lives of those around us.

Wishing you a blessed and joyful Advent,

Anne Dyke

Principal

Note: This will be the last weekly newsletter of 2023. The weekly newsletter will resume when we return on January 4, 2024. Merry Christmas!

School Announcements

St. Louis School offers many opportunities for our students and families to live our mission to Love, Learn, and Lead in our greater community. These initiatives are optional and participation does not earn PTO volunteer points, but we hope your family may choose to take part in them to make a difference in someone's day.

Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive

ENDS FRIDAY, DEC. 15

We're participating in the Scholastic Book Club’s Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive benefiting Pajama Program, a national nonprofit organization that provides new pajamas and storybooks to at-risk children. Pajama Program supports children living in shelters, group homes, and foster care.

Please help us transform bedtime for an at-risk child by bringing a new pair of pajamas to school between December 4-15.

Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Let's Stick Together!

Band Aid Drive!

THANK YOU for helping us spark a smile in pediatric patients at INOVA Children's Hospital and Walter Reed. Student Council collected almost 400 boxes of character band aids!

Giving Tuesday 2023...Thank you!

We're excited that 8 homerooms reached their $1,000 goal and will be receiving flexible seating options and collaborative workspaces from the Hawk's Christmas Wish List. Don't see your child's class on the list? There's still time to help your child's homeroom reach their goal. The Giving Tree Appeal will remain open for online donations only through December 31st.

Annual Fund March Madness - Start Collecting Points for Your Teams!

This year's March Madness Participation Challenge officially kicks off February 1st, but all gifts to the Annual Fund received since July 1st have earned points for the homeroom teams. During March Madness, homerooms compete to advance each week by collecting pledge card points for their team. Additionally, students of families who have participated are entered in a weekly drawing to play Pop-a-Shot and win prizes donated by local businesses.

The Christmas Season is Upon Us!

Share with us how your family prepares for Christmas! We'll feature your photos in our "Let Every Hawk Prepare Him Room" social media campaign throughout December.

Send your pics to

development@stlouisschool.org

Hawk Happenings: December 15-20, 2023

Friday, December 15

Lunch: Pizza

Saturday, December 16

School families Confession, 9:30-10am

Monday, December 18

Lunch: Teriyaki Chicken
Parent Rosary, 8:15am
All School Mass

Tuesday, December 19

Lunch: Hamburger
NO ICE CREAM

Wednesday, December 20

11:30 Dismissal
No PM EDC

December 21-January 3

Christmas Break; students return on January 4, 2024

FULL SCHOOL CALENDAR

Did you know you can subscribe to our school calendar for real-time updates, convenient links to SUGs and flyers, and more? Subscribe to auto-populate your iCal, Outlook 2007+ or Google calendar

*Hot lunch must be ordered monthly in advance.

Order hot lunch HERE.

January lunch orders due December 30, 9pm.

Tickets may be pre-purchased to redeem for ice cream on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Order ice cream tickets HERE.

Preschool

January Lunch Bunch and Enrichment Registration

Registration fro Januay Lunch Bunch as well as the "Snowy STEM" and "Arctic Animals" enrichment classes is now open through January 2, 2024. Enrichment class details can be found here.

January Lunch Bunch Registration

January Enrichment Class Registration

PTO

Merry Christmas!

Thank you to all who have filled the first part of the school year with such joy! It takes a (Christmas) village and the St. Louis community spirit certainly shines through! From the Feast-ival to the Birthday Bash, the Sunshine Committee to 5K, the room parents and field trip chaperones, Confession swaps and CYO sports, restaurant nights and cafeteria and recess monitors, Book Fair and scouting…the countless hours have not gone unnoticed! Merry Christmas to you and your families from the PTO Board. See you next year!

Rewind to the 90's - AUCTION - Feb. 10, 2024

Let’s all get N’Sync…the auction is swiftly approaching and we need your donations! Whether it’s your vacation home in a place that’s 98 Degrees, a day at the spa, a photography session or baked goods–we’d love to hear from you. Help the New Kids on the Block throw an amazing party and support our fabulous school at the same time. Questions? Contact Allison Parmiter at Hawktion.chair@gmail.com.

Extracurricular Activities

Emmaus Club Event for Middle School Families: Christmas Caroling

The Emmaus Club invites middle school families to join in Christmas caroling at the Poor Clares Monestary on Wednesday, December 20th at noon. Interested families are asked to meet in the school parking lot after dismissal where the group will gather and walk together to the Poor Clares. For more information, please contact, Mrs. Cecilia Franceski, cecilia.franceski@gmail.com.

Parish & Community

Saint Louis Parish CYO Hawks Take the Court!

Basketball continues this Saturday, December 16th! Swing by McClunn Hall and cheer on our Hawks!

● 8:30AM 7th Grade Girls

● 9:45AM 7th Grade Girls

And good luck to our Hawks that play further from the nest this weekend–we’re cheering for you too!

Love | Learn | Lead