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From
the desk of Sister Stella
PWC President
Parish News
SPA SKi Club
Traffic Duty Assignments
Weekly Readings/Reflections
Stucent Activities
Miscellaneous
From
the desk of Sister Stella
“On this First Sunday of Advent, the Church throughout the world begins a new year. For the next four weeks, we will prepare our hearts to celebrate the great feast of Christmas. We remember that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, came among us over 2,000 years ago. We also ponder his promise to return.
”From the Desk of Sister Stella Maria, Principal:
First Sunday of Advent ReflectionDecember Sunday First Sunday of Advent
Matthew 24:37-44
Reflecting on the meaning of Advent and Christmas, Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: ‘The season of Advent is like springtime in nature, when everything is renewed and so is fresh and healthy. Advent is meant to do this for us and make us healthy, to be able to receive Christ in whatever form he may come to us.
’How will the Lord come to us this Advent and Christmastide? We may aspire to make this season a time of personal renewal and refreshment, and yet find it difficult to achieve. Perhaps the greatest challenge is the demand the build-up to Christmas makes on that most precious of commodities — time. In this both secular and holy season, so often the secular seems to drown out the holy. Let us strive not to let this happen, but do all we can to make the most of this opportunity to be renewed and refreshed. The Lord will come to us this Advent as we take time to pray reflect, read scripture and rejoice that God became man
.As food for our contemplation, let us consider the profound and wonderful truth expressed by the Church in the words, ‘The Son of God worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like us in all things exceptsin’ (Gaudiurn et spes 22).
Since the beginning the Church has taught that there are three comings of Christ: the first in the incarnation, the second in his return, and the third when Christ takes up his abode in our hearts. This Christmas we rejoice in the first coming, look forward to the second, and prepare for the third: his coming into our lives. Renewal and refreshment — the Springtime of Advent — break into our lives as we encounter Christ.
The meaning of Christmas is Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Let us worship him as we pray the prayer of St Clare of Assisi: ‘Whose beauty all the heavenly hosts behold forever, whose love inflames our love, the contemplation of whom is our refreshment, whose graciousness is our delight, whose gentleness fills us to overflowing, whose remembrance makes us glow with happiness, whose fragrance revives the dead, the glorious vision of whom will be the happiness of all the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem.’(St Clare of Assisi)
Remember our Advent Festival on Sunday, December 2nd, from 10:00am until 5:00pm.
An On-Going Education Update
Throughout the first trimester of the 2007-2008 school year, several faculty members participated in a variety of conferences:In October, the entire faculty engaged in a full day conference by Dr. Alan November titled, “Preparing Students for a Global Work Ethic.” For more information please visit his website at: www.novemberlearning.com.
On November 1st and 2nd, five math teachers attended the California Math Council Conference. While I participated in an Educational Leadership Conference titled, “Building Professional Learning Communities” on November 15th and 16th.
Miss Danielski traveled to New York on November 16th – 18th. She attended the National Council of English Teachers Annual Convention that focused on “Mapping Diverse Literacies for the 21st Century: Opportunities, Challenges and Promising New Directions.”
On November 16th -19th, Mrs. Munroe traveled to San Diego to attend the annual meeting of “The American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature.”
Mrs. Amos and Mrs. White participated in the California conference for Second Grade Teachers, which was held on November 28th and 29th.
Build respect by encouraging a sense of gratitude
Teachers want students who are respectful and well-mannered in their classrooms. And one way you can teach your child respect is to help him develop a sense of gratitude.
Grateful children are more aware of how others have helped them. They say thank you. They have a positive attitude and are more likely to show respect for people and things in their lives—including teachers and school property.
Truly grateful children don’t just “put on their manners” on demand or to impress others. They use manners to be respectful and to make the lives of others more pleasant.
To encourage gratefulness:
• Model it. Say how lucky you are to have your family, your community and your child’s school. Don’t always want what you don’t have.
• Express your gratitude to your child. Thank him for his help, his kindness and being who he is.
• Don’t give in when your child pleads for a treat or present. This rewards begging, not waiting for what he wants. It creates an ungrateful, impatient adult.
• Tell your child you love him and appreciate him for his efforts.
• Encourage your child to keep a “Gratitude Journal.” Bach day, have him write down two or three things he’s grateful for. Ask him to share a few of his entries.
Source: Jill Rigby, Raising Respectful Children in a
Disrespectful World, ISBN: 1 -S8229-574~9 (Howard
Books/Simon & Schuster, 1-800-223-2336, www.howard publish ing.com)
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PWC
President
Dear SPA Parents:
I hope that you all had a blessed and restful Thanksgiving Weekend. I enjoyed mine immensely!! Thank you to Daryl Crowley for her unlimited hours for the homeless at the Thanksgiving Day Celebration Dinner and to Team Scibelli for organizing the Turkey Drive It is a wonderful –giving event, I hope that families were ble to experience it somehow. Now, kick up your heels because the Christmas Season is upon us…. but not too quickly. As we all approach this Christmas Season take it slowly and remember what the Season is truly about… Christ.
Thank you to all of Santa’s helpers who came to decorate the JCPC for the Christmas Season. It was a wonderful way to kick off the holidays! Thank you to all of you for your time and decorating talents. It is special to be a part of this community! Thank you to the Head Room Parents, Agnes and Marchell for rganizing High School Night. Thank you to the 6th, 7th and 8th grade room parents for their help with this informative evening. The Advent Wreath Making is this Sunday from 10:00-5:00 in the Pavilion- what a great way to start your holidays. Thank you to the Amos Family.
The reservations for the PWC Christmas Party at the LA Farm are due by this Friday, November 30th. Please get your reservations into Michelle Boydston via the Black Bag marked PWC Christmas Party. Looking forward to some great oliday cheer! Look for the invitations to the Senior Christmas Luncheon held on Wednesday December 12th in the JCPC. All are welcome and the registered Seniors of St. Paul’s will be our guests. However, all seniors, registered or not, will be receiving a special visit from Santa- so when filling out your reservation form please indicate if your guest is a senior. Please RSVP to Mary Kay Lalli via the Black Bag marked Senior Christmas Luncheon. And… our Kindergarteners will be performing as well as the Choristers.
TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC… please read the article published again in the Epistle. The afternoon traffic is becoming a problem with the congestion!! Please remember that the gates will not open until around 2:55 –we will not be stacking cars in the driveway because the parish staff needs access into/out of the driveway. You will have to CIRCLE the block if cars are already lined up on Selby- we cannot block the streets! The easiest solution: DON’T COME TOO EARLY— Well, I guess I am rested because I am going on and on….have a great week
Thought for the Week: As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person. Proverbs 4:23
Tina Cathcart
PWC President
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Parish
News
SAVE THE DATE
PAULIST SPIRIT AWARDS
LOS ANGELES
APRIL 12, 2008
Awards, Dinner, Dancing
Bel Air Bay Club
The Award Recipients:
Fr. Bob Rivers, C.S.P.
Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association
Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.
Homeboy Industries – Homegirl Industries
The Immaculate Heart Community
Building relationships in society
Questions:
Paulist150th@sp-apostle.org or (310) 474-1527
_______________________________________________________________________
“A festival of lessons & Carols: the Christmas story in work & song”, featuring the Caritas Chorus. Children’s Christmas Choir and New Schola Cantorum will be presented on Sunday, December 16, from 3 to 4:15pm in the Church. All are welcome. Christopher Walker conducting. Free admission. Reception following.
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ATTENTION ALL SKIERS & SNOWBOARDERS!!!
THE 9TH ANNUAL SPA SKI TRIP IS SET FOR FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 1
Don’t miss out on this winter adventure that has become a favorite annual event for SPA families.
Please join us for an information meeting on Tuesday, December 11tH at 6:30PM in the Church Classroom. This trip sells out very quickly so your attendance at this meeting is strongly encouraged.
Additional information may be downloaded from the attachment in this week’s epistle.
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Traffic
Duty Assignments
 Month of December Traffic Assignment 5th Grade Parents
PARENT TRAFFIC RESPONSIBILITIES. Note: Please arrive by 7:20 am or 2:30 pm to complete your assignment. Should you have questions about your duty do not hesitate to contact your room parents or Liane Schirmer.
| Morning
|
Mon.
|
Tues.
|
Wed.
|
Thurs.
|
Fri.
|
Selby
Driveway Director: |
Lightbourn
|
Butler
|
Valade
|
In
|
Keeler
|
Selby
Driveway Door #1: |
Workman
|
Hiney
|
Good
|
Dixon
|
Curtin
|
Selby
Driveway Door #2: |
Johnson
|
Konroad
|
Figueroa
|
Perry
|
Barker
|
Playground
Door #1: |
Johnson
|
Ostrick
|
Drake
|
Ostrin
|
Kilroy
|
Playground
Door #2: |
Rogers
|
Moulton
|
Duncan
|
Loo
|
Murphy
|
Ohio
Handicap Door #1: |
Felesina
|
Policella
|
Reed
|
Grant
|
Schibelli
|
Ohio
Handicap Door #2: |
Moretti
|
Osborn
|
Hardy
|
Bailey
|
Royer
|
| Ohio
Across From school #1: |
Anderson
|
Burgess
|
Choneum
|
Rosenberg
|
Thomas
|
| Ohio
Across From school #2: |
Braga
|
Kupiec-Weglinski
|
Del Rivo
|
Freese
|
Feeley
|
| Afternoon |
Mon.
|
Tues.
|
Wed.
|
Thurs.
|
Fri.
|
Selby
Driveway Director: |
Heaney
|
Filosetta
|
Raineri
|
Crowley
|
Kerrigan
|
TRAFFIC NOTE:
Please read the following carefully and see that your Room Parents communicate this to everyone on their Traffic Sign-Up Sheets.
DROP – OFF
NO PARKING ON SELBY north of the driveway. In the morning, cars need to proceed single file, and those not entering the driveway must leave in order, in a single lane. It is unsafe for them to have to exit around parked cars, and for those parked cars to have to pull out into an already narrow street with a steady flow of northbound traffic.
PICK-UP
The Selby Director will allow cars to enter the driveway ONLY WHEN THE SCHOOL GATE HAS BEEN OPENED. The driveway cannot be blocked by cars as parish/rectory traffic needs to enter/exit. In case of emergency, that driveway must remain clear. As soon as the gates open, cars can proceed into the driveway and parking lot, and the driveway will be blocked for as short a time as possible.
The Selby Driveway Director shall arrive at their post no later than 2:40 and
stay until 3:20. There is a considerable amount of foot traffic across the school driveway long after most of the cars have filed into the parking lot. The Director needs to be there to insure that it is safe to cross the driveway (both SPA and Emerson students and their parents). “Straggler” cars enter after 3:00 and the driveway must be clear before they enter.
We still seem to be having \cars waiting to enter the parking lot line up along Selby asusual. If you see that the line extends to the northern Emerson driveway, youMUST CIRCLE AROUND THE CORNER UNTIL CARS ARE PROCEEDING INTO THE DRIVEWAY FOR PICKUP.
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Weekly
Readings/Reflections
Sunday December 2, 2007
First Sunday of Advent
Reading 1
Is 2:1-5
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Gospel:
Mt 24:37-44
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
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Student
Student Activities
SPA
FOOTBALL AWARDS DINNER
3RD, 4TH, 5TH, 6TH, 7TH & 8TH
GRADE TEAMS
PLEASE JOIN US ON
MONDAY, DECEMBER 10TH
6:30 PM
JCPC
MENU:
DINNER BY CASA BLANCA
PLAYERS-FREE
PARENTS $10.00 PER PERSON
___________________________________________________________
AN OASIS IS COMING!!
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West L.A. Little League Registration Information:
Registration is open for boys and girls 5-12for baseball and softball for the spring. Contact the West LA Little League, Registration @ www.wlalittleleague.org
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