Upload
dinhquynh
View
217
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
December 2, 2016
Long ago in a little town, most of the people got ready for Christmas by decorating their houses with lights and ornaments. However, one older couple did things a little differently. They cleaned everything! They would scrub their whole house—from ceiling to floor. When they were done, they would announce to the whole town that now they were ready for Christmas, the coming of the Christ Child.
John the Baptist would have liked that old
couple. Throughout John’s ministry in the wilderness, he called on people to make themselves clean as a way of getting ready for the coming Messiah. In his camel hair coat, John may have looked strange, but he was God’s messenger sent to make things ready for the coming Messiah. He was, as the prophet Isaiah called him, “the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord…’” (Luke 3:4). John called people to get ready, not by decorating houses or throwing parties. Rather, John knew that the way to really get ready for the coming Savior was to turn away from sin—to repent and to look to the one coming for forgiveness and new life.
The words of John still call us today! His words call us to get
ready for the coming Savior—not by decorating our homes and buying expensive gifts—but most importantly by getting ready on the inside. We get ready John’s way when we turn away from our sins. We get ready John’s way when we remember that we have been baptized and
made children of God. And, we get ready John’s way when we welcome Jesus into our hearts and homes with love, forgiveness, and the new life he brings.
Like the old couple in the story who washed
and cleaned their whole house in preparation for Christmas, we, too are to prepare ourselves to receive Jesus this Christmas by making ourselves “new and clean”. May our prayer this Advent season
be that our Lord Jesus enter our lives and “create in me a clean heart, O Lord, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10)—come to us with your life and your love.
In Christ’s Service, James L. House, Principal
2016-17 School Year Theme – “Superheroes for Jesus” – Hebrews 12:1-3
Prayer Walk Families for
the week of Dec. 2-8
Saria Lopez
Isabelle Lutrick
Lexi Makai
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Dec. 3…“Jingle Bells and Jammies”
Christmas Fellowship
– 9:00-10:30 AM
Dec. 3-4…Nativity Nights at St. Paul
– 5:00-8:00 PM
Dec. 4…“Lesson & Carols” Worship
Service – 10:00 AM
Dec. 6…Boys BB Game vs St. Luke
– 4:30 PM
Dec. 7…School Chapel Service
– 8:20 AM
Dec. 9…PSIA Parent Information
Meeting – 4:00 PM
Dec. 13…RGV Vipers Field Trip
Dec. 14…Children’s Christmas
Service – 7:00 PM
Dec. 16 & 19 – Classes Christmas
Caroling – mornings
Dec. 19…Family Christmas Lunch
– 11:30 AM
Dec. 20…All-School Christmas
Assembly – 8:30 AM
“Favorite Carol” Chapel
Service – 11:00 AM
Early Dismissal – 12:30 PM
Dec. 21-Jan. 3…Christmas Vacation
From the Principal’s Desk. . .
St. Paul Academy 1920 E. Washington Ave. Harlingen, Texas 78550
Office Phone 956-423-3926
Check us out on the Internet at www.stpaultexas.com or www.fastdir.com/stpaultexas
JINGLE BELLS & JAMMIES. . .You are invited to attend “Jingle
Bells & Jammies” tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 3rd from 9:00-10:30 AM in
the cafetorium. Following a light “donut & milk or juice”
breakfast, we’ll sing carols, do a Christmas craft, enjoy
some Christmas treats, and share the story of Christ’s birth
at Christmas. Great fun for children ages 2 through 4th
Grade and their families! Remember to wear your
pajamas and join us for this fun Christmastime fellowship
event tomorrow morning.
NATIVITY NIGHTS 2016. . .Join us this Saturday & Sunday, Dec.
3rd & 4th from 5:00-8:00 PM for Nativity Nights at St. Paul. We will host
two nights to a live nativity on the front lawn of the church, the peace of
the Nativity Walk in the sanctuary, and the opportunity to engage in family
fun activities centered on the birth
of Jesus! We expect thousands of
people from the community to
join us this year for this exciting
event! Plan to join us for the
food, fun, and opportunity to
share the Hope we have in Jesus
in this season of the year!
HELP US INVITE THEM!. . .We hope to involve thousands of folks
in this year’s Nativity Nights celebration. But, they’ll only come if they’re
invited by YOU! To help you invite your relative, neighbors, co-workers,
and friends, we’re sending home another special “Nativity Nights” Post
Card. Give it to a friend this weekend and invite them to come along with
you on Saturday or Sunday evening!
“LESSONS & CAROLS” SERVICE Join us this Sunday, Dec. 4th on the
Academy campus for “Lessons &
Carols” Worship Service at 10:00 AM in
the gym. This special service will
provide an opportunity for all of our
members and guests to worship together
as one and to celebrate Holy Communion as one body in Christ! The
service will also feature the singing of many favorite Christmas carols
accompanied by a string quartet and piano as we hear from God’s Word!
Plan now to attend and worship with us at “Lessons & Carols”.
ST. NICHOLAS DAY. . .is Tuesday, Dec. 6th. The
students and staff of St. Paul Academy will observe the
day by participating in the ancient custom of placing
their shoes outside their classroom doors and receiving a
special treat. Be sure to ask your child about the
“Legend of St. Nicholas” and the lessons of Christian generosity learned
from this early Christian church leader next Tuesday.
CHAPEL OFFERING PROJECT. . .This week’s
chapel offerings in support of the Samaritan Purse
“Operation Christmas Child” project totaled $44.83;
bringing our four-week total to $259.57. Please
remember your chapel offerings next Wednesday in
support of Operation Christmas Child as we near our $400 goal.
ANNUAL FUND GIFTS. . .Earlier
this week, every St. Paul Academy
family received a letter asking for your
kind support and generous donations to
this year’s St. Paul Academy Annual
Fund. This is a great opportunity for you
to direct some of your “year-end giving”
to the ministry of St. Paul Academy and
your child’s continuing education, and
receive a nice tax-deduction, too!
Already this week, we’ve received
several gifts totaling over $3,000. Please
consider a tax-deductible gift to St. Paul
Academy this holiday season! Any
questions, contact Mr. House.
PSIA PARENT MEETING. . .We
were very pleased to see so many student
register to participate in the 2016 PSIA
district competition in March. To begin
preparing for competition, we will hold a
PSIA Parent Meeting next Friday, Dec.
9th at 4:00 PM in
the library. At this
meeting, you will
receive rules and
information for
your contests. You’ll also talk with your
event coaches and decide upon the best
days and times to meet for practices. It is
VITAL that both parents and students
attend this important meeting. Make
plans now to attend!
ANGEL TREE GIFTS. . .Just a
reminder—if you chose one of the
“angels” from the “Angel Tree” during
the last few weeks,
the deadline for
returning your
wrapped gift to the
school office is next
Friday, Dec. 9th.
We plan to deliver
the gifts to our
special community
families soon after. Remember to bring
your wrapped gifts along with the angel
tag. Thanks for your generosity in
supporting this special project!
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS SERVICE. . .Plan to attend the 2016
St. Paul Academy Children’s Christmas Service on Wednesday, Dec. 14th
at 7:00 PM in the gymnasium. Our PK thru 7th grade students will lead
the evening worship service entitled, “What Child is This?” with our
focus on the message of the Christmas
Gospel told through a series of
questions in song and verse about
Jesus’ birth. We hope to see all of you
the evening of Dec. 14th as we sing
favorite Christmas carols and share the
story of Christ’s birth once again
through the message of the children’s
worship service!
PRE-SERVICE SUPPER. . .St. Paul Academy will hold an Advent
Sloppy Joe Supper for our families and members & guests of St. Paul
Lutheran Church and Academy on Wednesday, Dec. 14th from 5:30-6:30
PM (prior to the Children’s Christmas
Service) in the cafetorium. Check out
the flyer coming home today on which
you can place your reservation. All
reservation forms should be returned to
the school office by next Friday, Dec.
9th. Thanks for your support of our
Advent Sloppy Joe Supper!
ICE GALA AUCTION NEWS. . .Planning for the 2016 St. Paul ICE
Gala Dinner & Auction scheduled for Saturday, February 25th is moving
right along! More details will be coming home in late December regarding
ticket sales, group/corporate tables, etc. Now’s the time to start thinking
about helping obtain items for the live and silent
auction. Remember—the success of our auction will be
a direct result of our families securing items to be
auctioned off that night. Help us secure auction items
today! Contact a donor today, and then complete an Item
Acquisition Sheet (available at the school office). Email
or call us—we’ll send copies home with your child.
And, thanks for your support
HOLIDAY SCRIP ORDERS. . .I’m sure you’ve already started your
Christmas shopping! Have you been using Scrip Cards purchased from St.
Paul Academy? Remember, Great Lakes Scrip cards are just like cash—
but so much more, because a %age of
your purchase stays right here at St.
Paul as profit for our PTLS. And, Scrip
is available for over 200 local shops,
restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, and other
retail establishments. The monthly Family Order
Form is available online or is attached to the
newsletter email for your easy download. All orders returned to the office
by 8:00 AM Tuesday morning, Dec. 6th will be delivered by Friday, Dec.
9th. Discover the ease and convenience of shopping with Scrip and turn in
your order form every Tuesday or order over the internet by visiting
ShopWithScrip.com using the school code.
CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON. . . Parents, you are invited to join the students
for a special Christmas Luncheon on
Monday, Dec. 19th at 11:30 AM
(immediately folowing the Favorite Carol
Chapel) in the
cafetorium. Our
menu will consist
of ham and turkey
with all the
Christmas
trimmings! Watch for the Luncheon
Reservations Sheet coming home next
week; but plan now to join us for this
special pre-Christmas treat!
CHRISTMAS ASSEMBLY. . .Mark
your calendars and plan to join us for our
special All-School Christmas Assembly on
Tuesday, Dec. 20th
at 8:30 AM in the
gym. Parents, we
invite you to come
join us as we enjoy
the fun of singing
traditional Christmas carols and watch
various groups share holiday performances
to kick off our special day before Christmas
vacation.
Saints Hot Lunch Menu
Week of Dec. 5-9
Monday – Macho Nacho w/cheese
sauce, Baked Tostito Scoops,
Brown Rice, Refried Beans,
Lettuce & Tomatoes
Tuesday – Domino’s Pizza,
Cucumbers, Ranch Dressings,
Cookie
Wednesday – Chicken Nuggets,
Mashed Potatoes w/brown gravy,
Green Beans, Sliced Bread
Thursday – Turkey Sandwich,
Lettuce/Tomatoes/Pickles,
Baby Carrots, Sun Chips
Friday – Spaghetti w/meatballs,
Broccoli, Dinner Roll
All meals are served with fruit and a carton of 1% white or chocolate milk
Ticket prices: K-8 students –$3.25 per meal and 35¢ per
extra milk (limit 2) (meals can be purchased on a daily basis by
placing funds on your Fast Direct lunch account—three I.O.U. lunch limit)
St. Paul Academy
School Code is: 1ALL427B37414
CHRISTMAS DRESS DAY. . .Do you have a
special Christmas t-shirt, sweater, sweatshirt, scarf,
or other Christmas attire that you’re just dying to
wear? Or maybe you would just like to get into the
holiday spirit by wearing “red & green” Christmas
colors. If so, wear them to school on Tuesday, Dec.
20th for “Christmas Dress Day”. Help us add to the
merriment of our special half-day of Christmas
activities! Plan now to participate in our Merry
Christmas Dress Day fun!
“FAVORITE CAROL” CHAPEL. . .Join us for our “Favorite Carol”
Chapel Service on Tuesday, Dec. 20th at 11:00 PM. Come usher in
Christmas with us through the words of our favorite Christmas carols as
chosen by the students. Parents and younger siblings are invited to attend
this special chapel service, too.
EARLY DISMISSAL. . .Classes will be dismissed for
Christmas vacation immediately following lunch at 12:30 PM
on Tuesday, Dec. 20st. Parents, please make arrangements to
pick up your children no later 1:00 PM as there will be no
After-School Extended Care that day.
BASKETBALL NEWS. . .The
Saints Boys’ basketball team started
the month of December with a tough
loss last night to the Calvary Christian
team. During the next two weeks, the
team see action as follows: • Tues. (12/06) vs. St. Luke @ 4:30 PM
• Mon. (12/12) vs. Kenmont @ 4:30 PM
• Thurs. (12/15) at Calvary @ 4:30 PM Plan to come cheer for our Saints
teams throughout the season!
STOCKTHE CART. . .During
December, we’re once again
collecting PEANUT BUTTER for
our “Stock the Cart” collection.
Remember, our “Stock the Cart” and
“Backpacks of Love” programs
provide weekend meals to local
children who are less fortunate than
ourselves and share the love of Jesus with them! Remember to bring your
donation of peanut butter next week for our “Stock the Cart” collection.
Thanks for participating!
BOX TOPS NEWS. . .Have you
finished filling your November
“Thanksgiving” box tops collection sheet
yet? The new December collection sheet
were sent home
before Thanksgiving.
See if you can collect
all 25 box tops before
Christmas Vacation.
Remember, each box top is worth 10¢ for
our Saints kids. Thanks for your support
of our “Easy Fund Raisers” General
Mills “Box Tops for Education”
program.