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Set of weekly School Newsletters

St. Henry School Newsletter

December 12, 2008

“I will entrust to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven.

Whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven”

Matthew 16: 19

Wasn’t the Christmas program delightful last night? Three cheers to Mrs. Oestreicher and all the students. They certainly helped revive any lagging holiday spirits. Thank you!

Lest I forget, we have decided to cancel Student Council’s “Crazy Day” next Friday. We haven’t had a chance to visit the Blessed Sacrament during Exposition on these Advent Fridays due to “PJ Day” last Friday and today most of the students went to The Nutcracker. Next Friday is our last chance. We’ll reschedule “Crazy Day” for another day in 2009. Speaking of next Friday, we two Catholic elementary schools will have a full day unlike some of the other elementary schools in the city. You’ll recall that we are not taking some of the 11:30 dismissals to make life a little less hectic for you parents and to allow us to get out of school three and a half days earlier in June.

The quote from Matthew above is one of the references cited from Scripture when talking about the power Jesus gave to the apostles to forgive sins – a gift that was passed on to their successors in the Church from the earliest centuries. Our second graders will experience their First Confession/Reconciliation/Penance this Saturday evening. Congratulations! Children in grades three through eight will have the opportunity to experience the Lord’s sacramental forgiveness next week during the school day. We encourage you adults to do the same! It’s such a source of strength and peace. I have a few CD’s on the subject that I would be happy to loan out. I found them enlightening and inspiring so I feel obligated (and privileged) to share. Don’t hesitate to ask.

The Watertown Family Center located at 415 S. 8th Street is offering free “Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun” classes on Thursday evenings from 6 pm to 7:30 pm beginning on January 15th and ending on February 12th. I so recommend them. They will deliver on their promise to give you “a powerful, practical set of tools that will help you – the parents of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and primary grade youngsters – raise super kids.” Just a couple of things that they will help you with:

Show your tots that whining and arguing does not pay

Put an end to misbehavior in public

Smooth out mornings and bedtimes

Calm sibling bickering and battling

Make potty training fun

ETC.!

Call soon to register since they are filling up fast. The number is 261-2450.

Honestly, we have found that Love and Logic philosophy/techniques seem to be among the best parenting advice out there. (Of course, like anything else, parents have to work on using what they learn consistently.) I would be happy to offer a class for older kids in the spring – just let me know if you’d like one. If there would be enough people who would come during the school day, I’m thinking THAT could be arranged too. I love teaching the class.

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The whole story of her appearances to Juan Diego is wonderful – and true! The Hispanic community has a tradition of celebrating this in a lovely manner. You are all certainly invited to “their” Mass this Sunday afternoon at 2 pm and the reception afterwards. I encourage you to come. The language barrier won’t be that much of an issue – you do know what’s happening in the Mass!

Youngsters in kindergarten through grade six will be receiving the paper they need to participate in the Six Flags Six Hour Reading Club in today’s envelope. If they (and you) successfully complete the requirements, they will receive a free ticket to Six Flags valid from June 15, 2009 through August 9, 2009. If a trip there is a traditional summer outing for your family . . . such a deal, given the price of admission these days! Please note that the Keeping Track form must be returned to school on or before Monday, February 2nd. Go for it!

We have a wonderful opportunity to participate in a true work of mercy – the kind Jesus seems particularly fond of. You might have noticed an article in the Watertown Daily Times a few weeks back (November 12) about some Watertown residents who participated in a medical trip to the very poor in Guatemala. One of the people who came back inspired to continue helping is a relative of one of our beloved former teachers, Ms. Jane Lyons. Her sister-in-law, Mrs. Dot Steinhorst, is collecting used shoes for a village of people who are almost virtually shoeless. We can help with that, true? So this weekend, would you mind checking to see if you have any used shoes in good condition – whether adult or children’s – that you could donate? NO high heels, winter boots, or dressy shoes that are pretty much only for show and not for daily wear. They would really appreciate tennis shoes and sandals. It would be marvelous if you could stick inside some socks in good repair or just send them along. We will collect them through next Thursday. Isn’t that an easy way to help? Thank you for taking the time to get them to us. Just slip them inside a bag. God bless! Enjoy your weekend.

Dates to Mark on Your Calendar

DECEMBER

Friday 12 Kraemer/Kringle pick up in PC at end of the afternoon

Saturday 13 First Reconciliation for Grade Two at 7 pm

Tuesday 16 Grade Seven to Madison for “The Christmas Carol”

Grades One to Four walk to St. Bernard School for Christmas program in AM, weather permitting

Wednesday 17 Grade Five fills liturgical roles at 8:15 Mass

Th-Fri 18-19 HASA Santa’s Secret Shop Store – specifics of schedule enclosed

Friday 19 Mid-quarter reports go home. (FULL day of school, by the way.)

Monday 22 NO SCHOOL – Christmas break begins.

JANUARY

Monday 05 School begins again following Christmas break.

Tuesday 06 Special yo-yo assembly from 10:15 – 11:00 in PC. All parents welcome!

Wednesday 07 Grade Three fills liturgical roles at 8:15 Mass

St. Henry/St. Bernard Play Group meets in PC, 9:30 – 11:30 am

Athletic Association Board meeting, computer lab, 6:30 pm

Second grade parents – the first First Communion meeting at 7 pm in cafeteria

Friday 09 St. Council “Plaid Day”

Geography Bee in PC for grades 4-8 in PC beginning about 12: 50 pm.

Monday 12 Home and School Association meeting, 6:30 pm in rectory hall

Tuesday 13 St. Henry Day – clothes with school emblems/words/colors encouraged.

Wednesday 14 Grade One fills liturgical roles at 8:15 Mass – their first time!

Friday 16 Second set of AR points due (grades 4-8)

Market Day

Memory verse for December 15-19

“The people who have walked in darkness, have seen a great light. . . .

They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.”

(Just a review of verses we memorized last year from Isaiah 9: 1 and 5. No testing!)