Newsletter
February 22, 2012
Dear Parents,
Lent is a time when we prepare as a faith community to meet the risen Christ at Easter. It is a time for us to turn away from what keeps us from living the Gospel, and to remind ourselves that we are called to lives rooted in justice. To be just in the biblical sense is to be in right relationship with God. Over these 40 days, we pray for a change of heart towards greater love of God and each other as we share our food, our wealth and our time with others in need. May the Holy Spirit give us the strength to act justly, the courage to love tenderly and the faith to walk humbly with our God as we prepare for the resurrection of Jesus at Eastertime.
St. Thomas More School 50 Thomas More Way, San Francisco, CA 94132 415.337.0100 office@stthomasmoreschool.org
© 2012 St. Thomas More School. All rights reserved.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten Season and students had an opportunity to attend Mass and receive ashes. Yesterday, the 6th graders reminded us, in a thoughtful prayer service, that Lent is a good season to show our love for others. One way that students can do this is through personal acts of kindness and sacrifice. To that end, we are sending home individual collection boxes for each of the students to use for any money they wish to contribute during this time. Monies raised will be given to Father Mejia from the Society of the Propagation of the Faith for the mission in southern Somalia. We know that Somalia has endured relentless conflict that has exhausted the country’s food supplies over decades. Now, we learn that a drought-induced famine is steadily creeping across the land. Tens of thousands of people have already died of malnutrition-related causes; three million Somalis are in urgent need of aid and more than 10 million are at risk in the worst hunger emergency in a generation. Let's all make a special effort this season to show our love for others, to share the light of Jesus, and to continue to make a difference in the world.
Here are a few reminders of ways that the church asks us to observe the Lenten season.
〉Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence, that is, limited to a single, full meal and abstinence from meat. This applies to all persons ages 14-60. It is highly recommended that children from ages 7 to 14 years also fast and abstain on these days.
〉The other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence from meat.
〉During Lent, all Catholics are encouraged to receive Holy Eucharist frequently and to receive the Sacrament of Penance so that all may be prepared to celebrate more fully the paschal mystery on Easter Sunday.
Talk about Touching Workshop + FREE DRESS: A reminder that a parent workshop has been scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, February 23rd at 6:00pm in the kindergarten classroom and is mandatory for all preschool and kindergarten parents to attend. Parents of students in 1st through 3rd grade are also encouraged to attend. Childcare will be provided if needed in the preschool classroom. FREE DRESS passes for kindergarten students to be used on Friday, February 24th will be available from Mrs. Kennedy and Ms. Haas on this night.
Cioppino 2011: This Saturday, February 26th, we will have our annual Cioppino dinner. Those of you who already ordered tickets for the Cioppino are receiving them in your envelope today. If you were expecting tickets and did not receive them please contact Jessica Ramirez at hepkat_79@yahoo.com or Linda Shah at lp1114@aol.com immediately. Almost 400 tickets have been sold! If you don't want to be left out of the fun, there are still a few last minute tickets available. Also, check out the raffle flyer that is going home today. We'll see you there Saturday night!
Archives 2011-2012
Friday is full of fun activities: the kindergarteners and first graders will enjoy a ‘Sing-a-Story’ presentation of Hansel and Gretel from the SF Opera Guild while the 7th and 8th graders will continue their Ghiberti Doors project with representatives from Museo Italo Americano. The 2nd graders will enjoy a trip to the Academy of Sciences. Permission slips for this trip went home last week.
Children Helping Children: This is the theme of this season’s 7th grade Lenten Service Project. As part of their Confirmation preparation this year, 7th graders have selected San Francisco based Project Night Night, a charity that provides comfort to homeless children in our community who need all the same things we need to feel safe, cozy, and loved – a security blanket, a favorite bedtime book, and a cuddly stuffed animal. Riding on the success of last year’s Sole4Souls project that collected over 1000 pairs of shoes for those in need, the class is confident that it will, again, make a difference! Please look for the flyer in today’s envelope. Students will be given more details of how they can participate over the next week. Please help the 7th graders honor their commitment to help children, like themselves, who deserve our love and compassion.
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Sandwiches-for-the-needy: Thank you to everyone, especially the 1st graders and their families for their support of last week’s collection of sandwiches-for-the-needy. Our next collection is this Friday, February 24th with kindergarteners taking the lead. Please remember to individually wrap the sandwiches (ziplock sandwich bags) and label what is included. This helps people with allergies and dietary restrictions. During the Lenten season, lets all try and make a real effort in providing sandwiches for those in need.
Monday is a short busy day!: The SF Opera Guild will be here in their ongoing preparation of the sixth grade Books to Bravo project. Also, please remember that Monday, February 27th is a minimum day. Dismissal for the primary grades will be at 12:15 followed by the fourth through eighth grades at 12:30 as usual. As always, extended care will be available until 6:00pm and a hot dog lunch may be purchased by those signed in.
$25 Safeway Gift Cards: Please send a check (increments of $25) to the school office in an envelope marked Safeway Gift Cards and your child’s name if you are interested in purchasing these. Quantities are limited and these purchases will be credited to your scrip account. This is a one-time deal and is only available for a short time.
You created us from the dust of the earth,
And breathed your own life into our very being.
You recreated us in Christ through the waters of Baptism,
That we might share in his fullness of life.
As we enter these forty days,
May our fasting strengthen us to seek your justice,
May our prayer lead us to become makers of peace,
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal
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