Happy Advent! The season of Christmas preparation is upon us and we can feel the anticipation amid the dark, short days, this time of year. The smiles of the students shine brightly as each morning we gather in the main hallway to light the wreath and sing our Advent song. Each day a 7th grader will share a personal reflection on our year-long theme, “Who Do You Say That I Am?” During Advent we will explore many of the names used to recognize Jesus, (Messiah, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace etc.) You are welcome to “squeeze” in and join the entire school as we continue this much-loved annual tradition.
Have you ordered your Holiday SCRIP? If not, time is running out. All orders are due next Tuesday, December 10th if you want gift cards before we break for Christmas. Each family commits to participating in the SCRIP program at registration/re-enrollment when signing the Parent Commitment Agreement. You are not required to sign up for weekly purchases (though that is the best way to make free money for the school) but participation is necessary. Sales of available inventory will take place before the Christmas Pageant performances on December 19th, but if you desire particular cards, ordering in advance is the sure way to obtain them. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Jeff and Tiffany Christianson and Susan Leonardson who have been putting in hours of extra time recently trying to make this program gain the highest return for the school. We truly appreciate their efforts.
Speaking of the benefits of SCRIP, today the Pacific Science Center’s Science on Wheels spent the day at school, paid for by the proceeds generated by families participating in SCRIP. With a focus on Geology and earth science, the program called “Rock ‘n Roll” began with an all-school assembly on Earthquakes, volcanos, rocks and fossils. Each class had a workshop on a topic from magma and minerals to landforms or fossils. The library became a hands-on exhibit space with each class delving into the deepest layers of the earth to learn about crystals, magnetic rocks and earthquakes. They examined rocks and explored how we use them in our daily lives. It was a fun-filled, educational day.
Finally, just a reminder that this coming Thursday, December 5th at 7:00pm we will be doing a test of SwiftReach, our emergency notification system. With upgrades done to the site in the past few months, we want to make sure that your correct contact information is entered in the database. You should be receiving a test message via voice mail, e-mail (to your stannesea.org address) and text. If you do not receive all three messages, please let the office know so that we can reach you in case of inclement weather or school emergency.
Have a great week. Only 22 days until Christmas!
Mary
