What a delightful time of year it is with five Christmas programs to get us all in the mood! Last week our toddlers and preschoolers charmed us with their sometimes shy, sometimes reluctant, and sometimes dramatic participation in their program. They were adorable and Mrs. Haskamp led them through a delightful program for us. Then Mr. Held presented his last Christmas show at St. Paul’s, as he led the lovely voices of the third through fifth graders in another stellar program. One cannot help but walk away from these performances feeling better about the whole world!
Speaking of Mr. Held, his last day at St. Paul’s will be Tuesday, Dec. 13. The long trip to Seattle begins on Wednesday, as his first performance commitment there is on Sunday, Dec. 18! We wish him safe travels and all the very best.
This week we have the last two Christmas shows: prekindergarten and kindergarten on Wednesday and first and second grades on Thursday. Both programs will be at 9:00 a.m. in the north wing multipurpose room and led by Mrs. Haskamp. If you haven’t joined us for a program yet, come get in the spirit with these lovely programs.
Our chapel service this Friday will be a Eucharist service in the church for grades 3 – 8 and a regular chapel service in the ECC Commons for our toddlers through 2nd graders. Parents are welcome to attend either service, of course, and there will be more room for lots of visitors in the church for those of you who would like to attend the Eucharist with us.
Mrs. Victoria Fatu will be taking the helm of the 3rd through 6th grade music classes on January 2nd. Mrs. Fatu, who teaches piano lessons in our after-school program, was born in Russia and completed a degree in piano performance and teacher certification at Moscow State Conservatory. She is currently working on a Master’s degree at UMKC. Mrs. Fatu will substitute for Mr. Held on Wednesday and is really looking forward to working with our students. Please help us welcome her.
There will be some happy celebrating with class parties next week toward which we look forward. One very important reminder about our students with life threatening allergies: these students must not eat food that is not brought from their homes. We do not want a room parent volunteer to inadvertently offer a child food that he/she cannot eat. Please be sure to check with the classroom teacher to know of children with any life threatening allergies so critical mistakes are not made. Thanks!
Carpool reminder: the driveway to Walnut St. is usually one way coming into the parking lot! The exception to this is at the end of the day when a security guard is on duty so cars can both enter and exit that way. Consequently, if you seek to leave the parking lot via that route at any other time of the day, stay over to the far right, drive slowly, and be aware that especially church members are not used to that being a two-way drive and may turn into it without expecting to see someone exiting. If you choose to take that chance, remember that the onus is on you to be watchful and stay to the right.
If you miss a call from the school, please check your voice mail before calling the office to inquire about the phone call. It is likely that you missed a call from our automated One Call Now system.
Stay up to date on the latest happenings with our school calendar. Bookmark the calendar page on our website and check back often to see what is going on at St. Paul's.
The auction committee is warming up for the 2012 auction - the Parents' Guild's largest annual fundraiser. Here are some important dates to put in your playbooks:
January 28th, 2012: GAME NIGHT - The Auction Kick-off Party.
The 2012 Auction kicks off at Dave and Krista Peterson's home on January 28th. Join the Petersons and their walk-on hosts for an evening of games, good eats, and the entire St. Paul's team, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. By attending this party and donating either cash or an in-kind item, you are providing much-needed funds for our students and staff. You won't want to miss this pre-game party!
March 2nd-3rd, 2012: Randy Kurt's Benefit Games.
Lace up your shoes and get ready to play in the Second Annual Benefit Games. New! Men's and women's dodgeball tournaments will be held on Friday night, March 2nd. Men's and women's basketball tournaments will follow on Saturday, March 3rd. On Saturday evening, participants in the Games will be treated to a post-game party at the home of Mike and Julie McCann. Draft your team now! Contact Amy Graham (beninggraham@gmail.com) or Katie Moreland (katiem@kc.rr.com) for details.
April 14th, 2012: GAME ON! Auction.
Schedule your sideline assistants (babysitters) now and get your GAME ON! at school on April 14th. The Silent Auction will get underway at 6:00, followed by tailgating and a lively Live Auction in the gym.
It will be a sad occasion for me when our post offices close and we no longer receive real mail. This time of year is particularly fun because it brings Christmas cards with great pictures and stories – a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and more distant family. I love to cover the mantle with these cards and am one of those who enjoys those long Christmas letters. At the risk of, once again, showing my age, I welcome this more substantial connection to friends – even those with whom I share the emails and texts regularly.
I hope you’re enjoying as many of the traditions of the season as work for you and your family, while still finding time to rest, reflect and rejoice! Have a wonderful Christmas break with safe travels, good food, rest, reading, and plenty of family time. We look forward to your return in the new year!
