Happy Thanksgiving! Though Thanksgiving Day is not specifically a Catholic holy day, it certainly goes hand in hand with our life of faith. Spiritually speaking, we all know that gratitude is central to the Gospel message.

Thanksgiving Day presents us with the perfect opportunity to look at this particular aspect of our faith. We are called to be eternally and deeply grateful. How grateful to God are you?

Perhaps we all struggle in various ways with gratitude. It’s fair to say that we will never be grateful enough until we are perfected in Heaven. But, for now, it’s important to look at gratitude and to try to let it increase in our souls.

First, we will never be grateful unless we see clearly all that God has done for us. It’s so easy in life to focus in on all the struggles we face and, as a result, to get down, depressed, frustrated and even angry at times. What’s far more challenging is to look beyond the crosses and burdens we face each day to see the abundance of grace and mercy given to us by our Lord. Unless we see that mercy and grace, we will struggle greatly with authentic gratitude.

So on this Thanksgiving Day, reflect upon this simple question: Do I see all God has done for me? Do I see His abundance of mercy alive in my life? The Gospel passage above reveals that Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one of the ten returned in gratitude. Are you like one of the nine who failed in gratitude? If so, you most likely struggle with seeing all the true and abundant blessings from God. If you can humbly admit you struggle with total gratitude, you will have taken the first step to seeing more clearly and the first step to fostering the deeper gratitude you ought to have. Being grateful means you see the truth clearly. Be open to that truth and God will change your life as He fills you with joy!

As we move towards Thanksgiving, I wish to extend a very Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. It is a time to spend with families at this very important time of the year.

Kindergarten Information

We have begun the Kindergarten admissions procedures for the 2020 – 2021 school year. Please complete the online form as soon as possible so that you will not miss out from being part of Kindergarten 2020-2021. If you know of any families looking for Kindergarten for their child, please let them know. We will have a Kindergarten Open House on Tuesday, December 3rd between 9am and 11am.

Water Bubblers

I am pleased to announce that we have replaced the two hallway water bubblers with bottle filling stations and coolers, one on each floor. These water stations provide filtered water.

Feast of St. Cecilia

There is a parish concert on Friday evening to celebrate St. Cecilia's feast day. The concert will be held in the church from 6.30pm. Our school choir will be performing.

STAR

STAR testing is over, and our teachers have reviewed the results and are making changes to their programs. In general, we are seeing positive growth across the school. It is important that our students are constantly reading at home.

Title I

Title 1 Funds – We begin utilizing our Title 1 funds now. We have decided to support students with reading issues with additional assistance in the afternoons. Title 1 Funds are derived from the Federal Government and distributed through the SSF Unified School District.

Meeting with Public Works Department

I will soon have a site meeting with SSF Public Works representative and representatives from the Medical Center and the Women’s Club regarding the state of the 4th Lane roadway. We are intending to expedite the repairs to this portion of 4th Lane.

Report Cards

Report cards will be available online starting Thursday afternoon. If you have any concerns, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher. The Principal's Awards Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, December 4th.

Credit Card Payments

You are able now to pay for Extended Care and Cafeteria accounts with a credit card. Follow the links at the respective sites.

St. Vincent De Paul Annual Food Drive – Thanks to those families who supported the food drive this year. Your donations will assist the needy in our community.

Toy Drive

After the Thanksgiving break, we begin the toy drive which is conducted by the SSFFD and SSFPD. Once again thanks for your support to this drive.

WCEA Update

We have completed the revision process, and I am happy to say that we have a revised Mission Statement. Thanks to all our shareholders for your input into this revision. We are in the process of reviewing the SLEs.

New Mission Statement

All Souls Catholic School

is a diverse community

working together

to teach and live the Gospel message.

We prepare our students,

in a safe and supportive environment,

to become active Christians,

confident communicators,

and fully integrated individuals.

Our students develop the skills needed

to move forward

as life long learners

and responsible global citizens .

God Bless

Vincent Riener

Principal

“Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.” – Robert Caspar Lintner

While we can certainly give thanks on any day at any hour, we do especially associate our thanks-giving with the Thanksgiving holiday. So what better time to help children understand and express gratitude. As your family comes together to celebrate Thanksgiving next week, encourage your children to recognize and talk about their blessings. A 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

Historically, All Souls Catholic School, has joined n partnership with the SSF Fire and Police Departments to collect Christmas gifts for the less fortunate children in our community. Special emphasis this year is on age groups of 0-3 and 12-17 years of age. However, you are welcome to choose any gender or age group of your choice. Some suggestions are:

• Dolls

• Books

• Sports

• Board Games and Puzzles

• Card Games

• Arts and Crafts Kits or Supplies

• Gifts for Teens - Gift Cards

• Remote Control Cars

• Learning Toys

Due to safety concerns, we cannot accept stuffed animals or clothing.

We will begin our collection upon return from Thanksgiving Break and continue through Thursday, December 12th. Together we can make a difference and brighten a child’s Christmas. Thank you!

In honor of All Souls Catholic School’s 70th anniversary this year, we’ll be going “Back in Time” for Talent Show 2020. It will be time to get out those poodle skirts, tie dye shirts, and disco suits as the All Souls Talent Show travels back in time to the eras of swing, bebop, disco, and good old rock and roll. Skits, dance routines, or musical numbers must be from the good old days--before 1980. What if you don’t sing or dance? Maybe you do magic tricks or juggle. Please check in with Miss J if you want help with ideas. Start planning now!

The 2020 Talent Show will come to the stage on March 12th, 2020. Sign-ups will be starting immediately after Christmas break. Please be sure to check SchoolSpeak announcements and future newsletters for full information.

Dear All Souls Families,

As of Wednesday, November 6 you can pay and add credit to your child/children's cafeteria account through SchoolSpeak! Your payment will be processed through PayPal with a 3% convenience fee for all transactions.

Please sign into your SchoolSpeak account and select "Lunch Order" in the quick links menu on the left. The "Pay" tab will direct you to your payment options. You may pay the cafeteria balance through your existing PayPal account or as a guest using your credit or debit card. You may also add credit into your child/children's cafeteria account. If you wish, you may still make cash or check payments to the school office.

Please note, for the families that have a credit card on file I will no longer will be charging your credit card for lunch payments. You are now responsible for paying and adding credit to your cafeteria account.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Regards,

Ms. Escobar

WHEN: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14

WHERE: MOLLOY'S NIGHT!

HOSTED BY: ALL SOULS SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD

25-29 - Thanksgiving Holiday

28 - Thanksgiving Day

Below please find the free and reduced lunch application for the 2019-2020 school year.

Box Tops for Education was started by General Mills in California back in 1996, after the company decided they wanted to create a program to help support education and benefit America’s schools. All Souls has benefitted from this program over the years, receiving sports equipment, microscopes, and a variety of other educational items.

You can help by clipping the Box Tops off approved products you already have in your pantry. You don't need to clip the actual product UPC — just the Box Tops logo will do. From frozen foods to produce and household cleaning products, there are literally hundreds of opportunities to help, and each Box Top is worth 10 cents. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up fast.

There are so many participating companies! Participating companies and product lines include General Mills, Green Giant, Totino's, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Ziploc, Hefty, Juicy Juice, Betty Crocker and many more. For a full list of eligible items check the Box Tops for Education website at https://www.boxtops4education.com/earn .

Please see the flyer below for more details about new additions to the Box Tops program.