All Souls Catholic School

Newsletter - November 16th, 2017

Number 7

Gospel Reflection

Matthew 25:14-30

REFLECT: The second parable in Matthew 25 is known as the parable of the talents. This is certainly one of those parables that should send a chill down the spine of every single one of us! We might imagine Jesus the preacher constructing this detailed story in his mind as he prepared to teach the people. As we know, Jesus did not inch from telling the truth or prodding his listeners forward in their understanding of God’s love and expectations.

This familiar story tells of a master and three of his servants. Going away on a journey, the master entrusts his money to his servants before leaving. He divides the money unevenly, giving five talents (a very large sum of money) to the first servant, two talents to the second, and only one talent to the last. As the parable continues, we come to understand that the master intended the servants not only to keep the money safe, but to invest it. The money was meant to increase while the master was away.

The first two servants succeed in this endeavor. Both of them make pro table trades, thus doubling their funds. But the last servant does not do so well. Afraid of the master and his expectations, this servant “dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money” (Matthew 25:18).

The first two servants are commended by the returning master, who pledges his trust in them by promising them further responsibility and inviting them to “share [their] master’s joy” (verse 21). But the master is surprisingly harsh with the last servant, the one who hid his single talent. As he hands the talent back to his master, he admits that he hid the talent out of fear. The master does not mince words or hide his displeasure. He calls this servant “wicked and lazy” (verse 26). He asks why he did not even make a minimal effort to grow the money. He orders the money taken from him and given to the first servant. He then orders the last servant to be thrown “into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth” (Matthew 25:30).

The reaction of the master to this fearful servant, as told by Jesus, may seem excessively severe. But that is exactly the point. An effective preacher, Jesus hammers home his message with the deft use of hyperbole (exaggeration). There is no room for fear in the kingdom of God. There is no place for excuses or inaction.

There are expectations for growth, change, and bearing fruit. There are expectations for putting everything we have to work for the master and his purposes.

Those who succeed, who bear fruit with what they have been given, will be given even more. The greatest gift of all is the promise of the master: “Come, share my joy” (Matthew 25:23).

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

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Dear Parents/Guardians,

Thanksgiving

As we approach Thanksgiving, one way we prepare is to bring food for the St. Vincent De Paul Food Drive. Items of food will be distributed to needy families in South San Francisco. Thanks to all who will contribute to the food drive.

School Board Raffle

The annual School Board Raffle begins next week. All families will receive a book of 15 tickets to sell. The tickets are $5 per ticket of 5 tickets for $20.00. This fundraiser is very important for the school to meet its fundraising commitments. There is a competition between the primary grades and the Junior High grades for the class who sells the most tickets. There will be a pizza party for the class who sells the most tickets. One for Grades K - 4 and one for Grades 5 - 8.

The drawing of the raffle will be during the Principal Awards Ceremony during Catholic Schools week in January.

STAR Testing

We have completed the second STAR testing this past week and teachers are currently analyzing results to see how students are progressing. With the results teachers are able to make adjustments to their programs where necessary.

Results will be made available to parents before Thanksgiving break. They will be sent home with your child.

School Safety

In light of the recent school and church shootings we will be stepping up our safety procedures over the next few weeks. Some measures will be obvious but others will not be. We are still conducting our monthly drills. Please ensure that your contact details in SchoolSpeak are updated, especially with your phone numbers and carrier listed in SchoolSpeak.

One measure we will be taking is that when we are in the church, we will close three of the front doors of any assembly and will keep the side door on Miller St. open for people who may come late to events or school Masses. Children will be trained in securing themselves under the pews in the event that there is an active shooter entering the church. It is unfortunate that we have to go to these measures, but these are the times we are living in.

Riordian Quiz Bowl

Last Saturday our 7th and 8th grade students participated in the Riordian Quiz bowl that was held at St. Gabriel School. This event was an all day event and was somewhat difficult but was a good experience for our students.

Bingo - This Friday - 7th Grade

A reminder that our monthly School Bingo Night is for 7th grade this month. We look forward to seeing as many families as possible to support the Bingo program.

God Bless,

Vincent Riener

Principal

Ms. J's Journal

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good..."
- Psalm 100:4, 5a

True gratitude does not come naturally to young children. Young children are naturally egocentric. They consider themselves the center of the universe. The capacity for true gratitude develops as children grow and become aware of the positive contributions of the people and things in their lives. Gratitude is a skill to be learned and developed like many others.

What better time, then, to help children understand and express gratitude than in this holiday season. As your family comes together to celebrate Thanksgiving next week, encourage your children to recognize and talk about their blessings. The daily counting of blessings at mealtime or as part of a bedtime ritual can become a powerful reminder to your children of how lucky they are.

Also, don’t forget to take time to count your own blessings. The rush of daily life gets even more hectic around the holidays. Let’s not forget to remind ourselves of whom and what we are celebrating – and why.

Happy Thanksgiving!

All the best,

Miss J