Pacelli Post

December 4, 2024

During the Advent season, we are invited to anticipate and reflect, to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ’s birth. With holiday parties and shopping, it can be easy to overlook the spiritual importance of this season. Advent offers a wonderful opportunity to create traditions to help your children understand the joy and hope that come with the arrival of Jesus.

One of the most well-loved traditions of Advent is the Advent wreath. This wreath typically has four candles (three purple and one pink) and is a visual reminder of the coming of Christ. Each Sunday, light a candle and read a passage of Scripture together, focusing on hope, peace, joy, and love, which are the themes representing Christ’s coming. As you light each candle, take a moment to pray as a family.

Spend time reading about the Christmas story, the account of Christ’s birth. Read in a Children’s Bible or watch a Bible story video with Mary and Joseph visiting Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. Emphasize that Christmas is not just about gifts and decorations, but about the gift of Jesus.

Use an Advent calendar that highlights the true meaning of Christmas. Each day, open a door that counts down to the arrival of Christ. This can be a great way to reinforce the themes of Advent while helping your family with giving, serving, and reflecting during this season. Say a prayer with your family to make prayer a central part of your Advent observance. Encourage your children to pray for the needs of others and thank God for the gift of Jesus.

As you prepare for Christmas this year, remember that Advent is not just a countdown to December 25th. It is a time to draw closer to the heart of God and to remind your family of the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of Jesus, who came to bring light, hope, and salvation to the world.

May this Advent season be filled with hope, joy, and the presence of God in your home.

A reminder that we dismiss at 11:00 on December 20th. There will be no bus service in the afternoon.

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Hello from the Cardinal Pacelli Health Clinic!

We feel that it is a good time to review some illness information for guidance as we transition into the fall and winter. If your child gets sick, it is often most appropriate to keep him/her home from school. Once you have followed up with your child’s healthcare provider, please follow their instructions for return to school in addition to our illness policy.

A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school and is likely to spread the illness to other children and staff. Please make arrangements for childcare ahead of time so you will not be caught without a place for your child to stay if he/she is ill.

Our school policy states that you should not send your child to school if he/she has:

1. Fever (>100.4 degrees) in the past 24 hours

2. Vomiting in the past 24 hours

3. Diarrhea in the past 24 hours

In addition, if your child has a bad or continuous cough, with or without a fever, please keep him or her home and follow up with a health care provider.

If your child becomes ill at school and the teacher or school nurse feels the child is too sick to benefit from school or is contagious to other children, you will be called to come and take him/her home from school. It is essential that the school have a phone number where you can be contacted during the day and an emergency number in the event you cannot be reached. Please be sure that arrangements can be made to transport your child home from school and that childcare is available in case of illness. If your daytime or emergency phone number changes during the year, please notify your child’s teacher immediately.

These guidelines are meant to serve the best interests of all the children in our school. If you have questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact your child’s health office.

PREVENTION:

● Staying up to date with vaccinations.

● Practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing (or sanitizing) hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

● Taking steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.

Thank You

Cardinal Pacelli Health Clinic

Please remember to sign-up to donate gifts to your child's adopt-a-family. Return all gifts UNWRAPPED to your child's classroom by Wednesday, December 11th. Do not turn them into a sibling's classroom.

Also we are looking for volunteers to help wrap the gifts for the adopted families!

On Friday, December 13th from 8:30am - 11:00am we will be wrapping the gifts for these families in the Parish Center. Please consider volunteering to help wrap these wonderful donations that have been brought in for our 9 adopted families! We will have coffee and treats and of course some Christmas music! Hope to see you there!

Sign up to Wrap Presents!

SAVE THE DATE: THE JUNEFEST GALA IS FEBUARY 22 ND

Mark your calendars and be on the lookout for more

information about the fun evening the Gala Committee is

planning.

The PTO is once again organizing a Faculty & Staff Christmas Fund to celebrate the many members of Cardinal Pacelli faculty and staff that support our students!

This time of year can get hectic quick, so we'd love to take shopping for these important members of our school family off your list!

Contributing to the staff fund is easier than ever. Click here to contribute online! Credit cards, Apple Pay and e-checks are accepted and easy to use. No need to set up an account, just "continue as guest" when it's time to check out. All contributors names (unless donating anonymously) will be included in the cards given to the recipients of the Faculty & Staff Christmas Fund.

You may also choose to contribute with cash or check. To do so, please send in or bring an envelope with your contribution to the front desk of the school. Please make sure to include a note with your family name as you'd like it to appear on the card. Checks should be made out to Cardinal Pacelli PTO.

Envelopes coming home Thursday! Please indicate a few family members/friends for whom your students should shop + budget. Profits are donated to SVDP and invested into next year’s event.

Christmas Boutique Shopping Schedule:

Tuesday - December 10th

Pre K : 8-9 am

8th grade : 9-10 am

7th grade : 10-11 am

6th grade :11-12 am

5th grade : 12-1pm

4th grade : 1-2 pm

Wednesday - December 11th

3rd grade : 8-9 am

2nd grade : 9-10 am

1st grade : 10-11 am

Kindergarten :11-12 pm

Click here to volunteer at the boutique!

We still need volunteers for the following spots:

TUES. DEC. 10th:

Crafting/Photo Helper

* 8:00 - 10:00 (1 spot)

* 10:00 - 12:00 (1 spot)

* 12:00 - 2:00 (1 spot)

Gift Wrapper

* 8:00 - 10:00 (9 spots)

* 10:00 - 12:00 (6 spots)

WEDS. DEC. 11th:

Crafting/Photo Helper

* 8:00 - 10:00 (1 spot)

* 10:00 - 12:00 (2 spots)

Gift Wrapper

* 8:00 - 10:00 (2 spots)

* 10:00 - 12:00 (7 spots)

Cash Table

* 10:00 - 12:00 (1 spot)

Shopper Helper/Floater

* 8:00 - 10:00 (1 spot)

* 10:00 - 12:00 (1 spot)

For all of those students participating in the Beauty and the Beast play, please mark your calendars for the first rehearsal tomorrow in the parish center from 2:30-4pm and bring a snack!

We have plenty of volunteer shifts available for parents wanting to get a behind the scenes peek at rehearsals over the course of the next few months leading up to the show in February. We have spots available to help out the day/night of the show as well. Please consider signing up to help this show go on! Signups for play volunteers can find available spots here!

• December 6 - Cafeteria Concert
• December 10 and 11 - Christmas Boutique
• December 11 - K-3rd Christmas Concert 1:00 and 7:00 pm
• December 19 - Spirit Wear Day
• December 20 - Red and Green Day
• December 20 - Dismissal 11:00 - Christmas Vacation Begins
• January 6 - School Resumes
• January 7 - Spirit Wear Day

Kaldi's Handbook

• Principal Email: martin_j@cardinalpacelli.org
• Website: cardinalpacelli.org
• Location: 927 Ellison Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Phone: 513-321-1048

Cardinal Pacelli, parish school of Our Lord Christ the King, is driven by Christian values, committed to academic excellence, strengthened by a nurturing community and dedicated to educating both the heart and mind, while serving the Lord.