As Advent begins, our anticipation of Christmas grows! With every decoration added around the school, we can see the excitement and joy in the students' faces, counting down to the day we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Chirst. Thank you to all the families who have sent in their decorated ornaments to line our halls. They are all so beautiful and unique and the students are so proud to point them out to friends and teachers.
Another thank you to the students and parents who were able to attend and participate in student-led conferences at the end of November. It is a great opportunity for the students to highlight their learning, successes and set goals for the next term. Any parents who were not able to meet, may contact their child’s teacher to make alternate arrangements.
We would like to thank all of our families and supporters who have participated in our SCC family bingo, purchased poinsettias and lunch of the month to support our school fundraising efforts to help pay for our awesome playground!
We are gearing up for a very eventful December with Advent celebrations, Christmas dress up days, our Christmas Family Night and more. Please check the December calendar to find all of the activities, dress up days and service projects that we have planned!
At this time, we would like to wish all our students and families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Enjoy your time with family and safe travels for anyone traveling to visit their loved ones.
Yours in Christ,
Mrs. Combres & Mrs. Welford
December Saint
Saint Lucy - Let Your Light Shine
Saint Lucy lived in Sicily during a time when it was not easy to be a Christian. In fact, sometimes it was downright dangerous. It was against the law to believe in Jesus. Sometimes Christians were punished or even put to death by the Roman governor.
But Lucy loved Jesus very much, and she loved people just like Jesus did. She loved to spend her days helping people who were sick and poor and hungry. Some say that Lucy even brought food to the Christians hiding in dark tunnels underneath the ground. They hid there so no one would find them and punish them for believing in God. Lucy’s hands were so full carrying food to them that she would wear a crown of candles on her head so she could see her way through the dark tunnels.
Saint Lucy's feast day is celebrated on December 13. All around the world, people remember her with light because her name, Lucia, means light. In Scandinavia, there are big festivals where people light candles and sing songs about St. Lucy. In people’s homes, girls get up early in the morning, and they put on a white gown with a red sash. Then they put a wreath of candles on their head, and bring sweet rolls to their family in bed. This reminds everyone that Saint Lucy fed the hungry.
Mitten Tree
Mitten Tree - Our service project this month will be collecting new mittens, gloves, hats and scarves! These items will be donated to our local Food Bank’s, Share the Warmth project. Please help us decorate our mitten tree and help keep families in our community warm during the cold winter months.
Musical Auditions
Holy Family will be presenting their 3rd Annual Disney Kids musical beginning in the new year! Auditions for the musical will be for grades 6-7 students for our larger singing and acting roles. Grades 5-7 students who wish to be part of the chorus, sets, and backstage support will be able to join without auditioning. Auditions will run on December 10th at 11:45am.
Our first practice will be on January 6th 3:30-4:30.
Message from Father Tai Le
As the days get shorter, there seems to be more darkness than light, and we realize that
Christmas is coming soon! For many, Christmas is one of the most joyful seasons of the
year. By the end of November, some have already started their “annual” shopping and
preparations for Christmas. Sometimes we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the
season and forget why Christmas is so special: God, Emmanuel, coming to live with us!
Christmas does not come to us unless we have gone through Advent. The word “advent”
shares its root with the Latin word “adventus,” which means “an approach or an arrival.”
As people of hospitality, we always make extra efforts to prepare our home whenever
guests visit us. The point is to show guests our utmost and solemn welcome, such that
having their presence is a joyful event for us. In other words, the outward manifestation
of our preparations has evoked the inner joy we wish to convey to our visitors.
In Advent, the Church invites us to prepare our “home,” both external and internal, for
the coming of not just a friend but the Saviour. How much more are we called to prepare
for the coming of Christ? Preparing for Christ’s coming here is not limited only to the
beautiful decorations that we put up for our homes. Rather, it is more about preparing the
mansion of the soul for God’s coming. How much darkness is there that we need the Lord
to shed His light on so that we will become free from anxiety and worries about the
current ways of life?
It may seem as though the daylight is dwindling and the sun is nearly invisible.
Nevertheless, the true light of Christ is coming to us to illumine the human hearts and
thus shine upon the souls of all His faithful—the light of God’s infinite love for all who
yearn to see His face (Psalm 42:2-4).
My brothers and sisters in Christ, we all have experienced darkness such that we all need
God to come to shed His light on us to set us free...“Am I ready?”... If the answer is
“yes,” then what’s a better time and season than this Advent season? As you have started
your preparations for Christmas, please join me in not ignoring the significance of the
season so that by December 25th, we can all shout aloud to God that yes, Lord, we’re
ready! Come!
I wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Your Priest and Brother in Christ,
Fr. Tai Le
Co-op Christmas Lunch
Once again the Discovery Co-op will be serving the entire student body a complete Christmas turkey meal. The students will eat together with their classmates in the gym. The turkey meal will be served to our students by memebers of our local Discovery Co-op and a few Board Members and Central Office staff. We look forward to this Christmas event each year and would like to express our appreciation for the donation of food, time and helping hands.
