"Rejoice: the Lord is nigh." As Christmas draws near, the Church emphasizes the joy which should be in our hearts over all that the birth of our Savior means for us. The great joy of Christians is to see the day drawing nigh when the Lord will come again in His glory to lead them into His kingdom. The oft-repeated Veni ("Come") of Advent is an echo not only of the prophets but also of the conclusion of the Apocalypse of St. John: "Come, Lord Jesus," the last words of the New Testament.

Sunday is known as Gaudete Sunday. The term Gaudete refers to the first word of the Entrance Antiphon, "Rejoice". Rose vestments are worn to emphasize our joy that Christmas is near, and we also light the rose candle on our Advent wreath.

December 17 marks the beginning of the O Antiphons, the seven jewels of our liturgy, dating back to the fourth century, one for each day until Christmas Eve. These antiphons address Christ with seven magnificent Messianic titles, based on the Old Testament prophecies and types of Christ. The Church recalls the variety of the ills of man before the coming of the Redeemer. See O Come! The O Antiphons and Rejoice the Lord is Near!

As Advent comes to an end, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. I hope that all our school families will have the opportunity to celebrate in their home parish church or if travelling to take time to celebrate the birth in a local church.

God Bless

Christmas Program

I wish to thank Miss Michelle McDaniel for preparing our students for a wonderful Christmas program last night. It was great to see our students celebrating as a community the arrival of baby Jesus.

Political Action

I sent an email earlier today seeking your support to our local politicians in advocating keeping the funding for Title II, which deals with funds for Professional Development for teachers. I ask that you can fill out the action form. http://action.capenet.org/ctas/urge-congress-to-provide-2-billion-in-funding-title

Thank-You Letter

We received a thank-you letter from Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa. Our school community donated $900 to the Fire Relief Fund. Thank you to all our families for the support given throughout the year for all the natural disaster that have occurred. Please see the letter attached.

Happy Christmas

On behalf of the school administration, teachers and staff, I wish each and everyone a Holy and Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year. School resumes on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2018.

God Bless,

Vincent Riener

Principal

“For it is in giving that we receive.” – Francis of Assisi

I should be used to it after all these years, but I continue to be amazed and inspired by the generosity of our All Souls families. Our fundraisers for hurricane and fire relief raised funds for people in need both near and far. The recent Thanksgiving food drive was a huge success as well, with the collection table overflowing with much needed supplies to help our local St. Vincent de Paul chapter in their mission to feed the hungry here in South San Francisco. The annual Christmas toy drive, in association with the SSF Police and Fire Departments, just ended and also was a great success and sure to bring joy to many children in our city.

Not everyone can always afford to give to all of these fundraisers, however, so it is important that children learn that generosity is not limited to the donation of items or money. When children share their talents or help a friend, they are also being generous. Please encourage this generosity of spirit and heart and compliment your children when they are helpful and kind. And during the bustle of the holiday season, as children’s minds turn to thoughts of presents under the tree, please remind them that the joy of giving is not limited to the giving of things. Sharing time, talents, and friendship are wonderful gifts that all children can afford to give.

Please accept my best wishes for a beautiful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

All the best,

Miss J

15 - 12:20pm Dismissal - No Extended Care after school

12/18 - 1/1 - Christmas Vacation

25 - Christmas Day

Hello Parents/Guardians!

During this past quarter, we piloted a coding program with MVCode to see if there was any interest. I was shocked as to vast number students that came to the classes and very proud of our students' level of commitment and willingness to learn something new. With that said, we have agreed with MVCode to extend our contract for the rest of the school year. As I have been asked by parents to help with the crazy scheduling in order to have this opportunity, we are able to offer the following details regarding 2 new sessions.

Instead of coding only being offered 1 day a week, we now will have 2 coding days (Tuesday/Thursday 3:15-4:45 in the Technology Classroom). When registering your student for the first and/or second 8 week course, you will select either the Tuesday classes or the Thursday classes for your student to attend. Please see flyer attached.

Thank you,

Thomas Conmy
Middle School Technology Teacher and Coordinator

Email: info@ssfallsoulsschool.org
Website: www.ssfallsoulsschool.org
Location: 479 Miller Ave, South San Francisco, CA, United States
Phone: (650) 583 3562