From the Principal
Next week is the last week before Christmas break. This school year has really been moving quickly. Next week we have our Christmas Program on Thursday, December 18 at 6:30 p.m. This will be a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate the birth of our Savior. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Christmas Program.
What is so special about a candy cane? I was given this and since it is the season I felt it was appropriate to share. Some of you may have already seen this, but we all need reminders.
The candy cane is in the shape of a shepherd’s staff. A sheep follows his own shepherd, knows his voice, and trusts him. Upside down the candy cane is the letter “J”, the first letter of Jesus’ name. It is made of hard candy to remind us that Christ is the rock of our salvation. The red stripes represent the blood He shed on the cross for each one of us so that we can have eternal life through Him. The white on the candy cane represents the virgin birth, sinless life, and purity of our Lord. He is the only human being who ever lived never committing a single sin. And so was the made the candy cane, crafted in love, and made to help us remember the costly love of Jesus.
Important Dates in December
December 15, 16, and 17 – Santa Shop
December 16 – 3 year old Christmas Parties
December 17 – 4 year old Christmas Parties
December 18 – Christmas Program at 6:30 p.m.
December 19 – Last day of classes before Christmas break. K-6 Christmas parties.
School is out at 1:30 p.m.
I have been writing in the Friday Note about things that parents and teachers can do to help their children succeed in school. The next way parents can help their children is to turn the thinking and work over to the child. A common trap parents fall into is doing the work for the child. This is often times easier than to let the child struggle through it.
Consider a couple examples:
- Dad is helping his seven year old student with a math problem that they do not understand. Finally, in frustration, he tells her the answer.
- A twelve year old has a book report due tomorrow that was assigned several days earlier. Mother stays up until midnight to edit and type it.
In each of these cases the parent has taken from the child the opportunity to learn, not just academic skills, but responsibility and natural consequences of behavior. Teachers give assignments to assess what the child does and does not understand. Some parents have hindered their child’s educational progress in school by completing their child’s work for them. This can cause teachers to not realize that the child was struggling and give them the help they needed.
One of the most important things you can give your children is the ability to take responsibility for their own thinking and behavior. Homes for good learners emphasize independent problem solving from the beginning. Preschoolers are encouraged to complete tasks by themselves, older children are expected to think for themselves. We need to expect our children to be responsible for their learning and not do it for them.
Have a wonderful weekend. Only thirteen more days until Christmas.
CHAPEL
Next week chapel will be held on Friday, Dec. 19 instead of Wednesday. The Kindergarten class will lead the chapel service. Chapel offerings this month will be going to help give gifts to our Christmas Angels. We welcome any of our parents or grandparents who would like to join us for our chapel services. Our chapel service will begin at 8:10 a.m. in the gym.
sANTA SHOP
pals sponsors the Santa Shop each year as a service to the students of our school, not as a fundraiser. Each student will have the opportunity to do their own Christmas shopping during school for family and friends. The Santa Shop will have gifts that range from $0.25 to $8.00. We have exclusive shopping times for the students and a personal shopper to assist each student. The gifts will even be wrapped for the student! If you would like for your child to shop with his/her class, please send a baggie with cash or check and a list how much you would suggest that your child spends on each person. Any money not used will be returned with your child. Parents are welcome to shop with their children. The PALS elves look forward to this event each year, as we have the opportunity to help children learn about the gift of giving.
Christmas Program
We’re in our home stretch for the Christmas program God’s Gift to Us. Thank you to all the parents who have sent things we need for the show. We are in dire need of a Santa Claus costume to fit an average man, 6’ – 175 lbs. Monday night from 6-8 p.m. we will be putting the finishing touches on the set to get ready for our dress rehearsal on Tuesday. If you’d like to come and perhaps do some painting, hang lights and other decorations around the gym, we’d love to have you. I will have a coloring project for young children, so everyone can be involved. If lots of folks show up, we may get it all done in an hour or so.
Students in grades 1 – 4 need to arrive at 6:00 p.m. Students in grades 5 – 6 need to arrive at 5:45 p.m. All students should wear dress clothes or “Christmassy.” No jeans or T-shirts, please!
Thank you, parents for all of your support.
Kathleen Davis
Daycare during Christmas Break
Daycare will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the Christmas holidays – except for the following three days: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. You will need to pack a sack lunch during this time because the cafeteria will not be open.
TUITION ASSISTANCE – VOLUNTEER HRS.
If your family is receiving Tuition Assistance, please turn in your volunteer hours for this semester before Christmas break.
Upcoming volunteer opportunities are the Santa Shop which will be Dec. 15 - 17 (contact Alicia Knox at 651-1048) and helping with the set for the Christmas program Monday, Dec. 15 from 6:00 – 8:00. If you would like more information about helping with the set, please contact the school office on Monday.
Yearbook Pictures
The yearbook committee is collecting pictures for our yearbook. We will be working over Christmas break to complete pages for our first deadline. If any parents have pictures from field trips, classroom parties, skating parties, etc., we would love to add those pictures to our yearbook. Please place these pictures in Mrs. Ballard’s box or bring them to Mrs. Ballard’s classroom. Thank you!
LOST & FOUND
Please plan to check the Lost & Found container which will be located in the Commons the night of the Christmas program. It is overflowing with sweatshirts and jackets.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WRITE YOUR CHILD’S NAME IN ALL JACKETS, SWEATSHIRTS, & SPIRIT SHIRTS!
