Our Spiritual Theme
Our Spiritual Theme: We Walk by Faith
November & December Focus: We Walk by Faith... in Counsel
Spiritual Reflection by Miss Sheila O'Callaghan
During November people are more aware of the needs of others. They collect clothing, food or money to help the poor. This hopefully is a symbol of the way we care all year long about the poor, the hungry and the homeless of the world.
The following is a beautiful reading from the prophet Joel: “Fear not, O earth. Be glad and rejoice! For the Lord has done great things. You shall have plenty to eat. You shall be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has done wonderful things for you.”
November 17, is the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. It is also World Day of the Poor.
November 18, we honor the dedication of Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles in Rome. In Acts 28: 11-16, 30-31, Paul came to Rome as a prisoner. He was allowed to live by himself. However, a soldier was assigned to guard him. Paul lived there for two years. He welcomed all who came to him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and boldly taught about the Lord Jesus. No one tried to stop him.
We celebrate St. Rose Phillipine Duchesne, Virgin, on November 18. She led a group of Sacred Heart sisters to St. Charles, Missouri, to open schools. She also opened a school in Kansas for Native Americans. Her love of God brought many people to the church. The Native Americans named her “the woman who prays always.”
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on November 21. A legend says Mary was presented when she was three years old. Mary certainly had a special closeness to God.
We remember St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr, on November 22. She is known as the patron of music and musicians. St. Cecilia has inspired many musicians to write music in praise of God.
Thank you Dr. Andrew Trites and all musicians for making the world more wonderful with their music.
Walk by Faith is our theme for the year. Mrs. Boyer, Miss Solge and the fourth grade have given us food for thought. In the social hall, they have displayed some beautiful excerpts from Hebrews, Collisians and the Psalms on “gratitude”. Take a moment and read the quotes from the Bible that they have displayed. They will help us Walk by Faith.
Notes from the Admissions Office
REMINDER: Vision for the Future financial assistance applications and St. Ann School financial assistance applications for the 2025-2026 school year must be submitted by January 31, 2025. Please scroll to the bottom of our tuition and fees page for application details.
Volunteer Opportunity: Grandparents Day!
We’re looking for volunteers to help make Grandparents Day special! If you’re available on November 26th please consider lending a hand from 9:00 AM - 11:45 AM.
Volunteer tasks will include:
Helping with setup
Restocking refreshments
Assisting with cleanup
If you’re interested, please sign up here!!!
Your help will make a big difference, and we’d love to have you join us!
Student Life Notes
The Pre K 3 Minis recently celebrated their 50th Day Of School! Each child collected and counted 50 items to attach to a poster board. The kids had so much fun presenting their posters, showing their creativity, and counting by 10s with their classmates.
During learning centers time, the Minis colored, assembled, and wore a headband that proudly displayed that they are 50 Days SMARTER.
We are so proud of our youngest group of Mustangs!
Godspell Jr. Auditions Next Weekend!
Audition Date and Time:
November 23 in the Social Hall from 9:00 am – 3 pm.
- Auditions are closed. Parents, siblings, or caretakers may wait in the Social Hall hallway, outside, or give students age 12+ permission to walk home alone.
- We will assign each student a 30-minute audition with a group of 8-10 peers. Please make every effort to attend the scheduled day/time as we intend to cast the show by November 29 (subject to change).
- If you cannot be present on November 23, please contact maurya.crossen@amexgbt.com directly to discuss an audition the week of Nov. 24.
- Auditions will be recorded, but not shared outside of the audition committee (Dr. Trites, Maurya Crossen, Nicole Gabor). We will reference the recordings as we cast the show. We will also take a picture of each student.
Sign Up: Please complete this simple form by Monday, November 18 to request an audition time.
Preparing for the Audition
3 short sessions within the 30 minutes (Speak, Sing, Dance)
SPEAKING:
- Students will be given 1-2 short excerpts to read (no more than a paragraph) when they arrive at the audition. Students may read over the excerpt and ask the directors present for any assistance pronouncing words, etc.
- Students will stand on the stage and be greeted with smiling faces looking up at them (the directors)…tell them it is all fun and they should relax.
SINGING:
- The directors will teach a short section of the Godspell Jr. song to the students, and ask them to sing it back to us. We will assess their range, projection ability, and assign potential solos. The song is Day by Day.
- The vocal track can be found here: Day By Day Rehearsal Track
- The link to the entire album with guided vocals is here – listen in the car and start singing along!: Godspell Jr Full Album with Vocals
- Remind students that we need to hear them without a mic. Practice being loud – speak to the back of the Social Hall.
- Note: We do not recommend watching the movie version of Godspell because it doesn’t translate to kids today. However, if you search on youtube for Godspell Jr. productions, the most watched are typically the best. Here is a good version: Godspell Jr Production Sample
DANCING:
- Short and simple. We just want to see if the kids can follow simple direction and determine who might have a knack for dance.
- We can incorporate dance solos into the show and choose a student choreographer(s) and dance lead(s) like we did last year! This is typically the most carefree part of the auditions!
