Hello St. Gabriel Families,

Check out the following headlines and links to stay up to date on everything that is happening at St. Gabriel Parish School.

Middle School Math Teacher:

We are so pleased to announce the latest addition to our teaching staff. Sr. Therese Marie Yank will begin teaching our middle school math classes starting January 4th. Mrs. Mancuso has agreed to stay on for a bit to help with the transition. We greatly appreciate all of Mrs. Mancuso’s time and efforts. She has been a blessing in so many ways! Thank You!!

Sr. Therese Marie will also be working with Mrs. Erdmann in our middle school religion classes and will be a member of our school’s faith formation committee. Her invaluable insights and knowledge will help strengthen our religion program throughout the school. We have been blessed! We look forward to welcoming her to our teaching staff and to our St. Gabriel family. 

Meet Sr. Therese Marie:

I was born in Wausau, WI, but spent my childhood growing up in Milwaukee. I was homeschooled all the way through high school. Home-schooling gave me lots of time to think and study on my own, and my favorite subject was math, yet I found it a challenge to teach myself with only the textbook. Therefore, already in junior high, I decided I wanted to be a math teacher to help students understand this subject. Once in college, teaching fascinated me even more. Every child thinks and grasps the world around them so differently, and learning is either a wonder or struggle. During this time, I became convinced there are some things even more challenging than mathematics that we need to learn in life – such as the meaning of suffering and faith in God as a loving Father. As I grappled with these questions, the calling to give myself totally to God grew stronger. Sometimes, it might seem impossible to understand God, but then like Mary, we can trustingly surrender ourselves to his plan and calling.

The seed for this calling also began young. My parents were very involved in the Schoenstatt movement, which helped them raise their children in a relationship with Jesus and Mary. The Schoenstatt spirituality helped form our Catholic faith so it was not just for Sundays, but for every day. Through our involvement as a family in Schoenstatt, I experienced that Mary is our Mother who cares for us in a personal way. She wants to draw us closer to God and she forms Christ within us, so that one day, we can all be united in paradise. I wanted to become like our Blessed Mother for others and this is what led me to eventually join the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, whose mission is to be Mary for the world through working for the moral and spiritual renewal of society. I have been with the community since I joined in 2006.  

Within this community of sisters, I have served in multiple ways and places and have been blessed to spend time at our mission house in the Dominican Republic and at our places of origin in Germany, which has expanded my worldview and mission. These two experiences of seeing extreme poverty in one country, and of being given opportunities of privilege in another country have taught me to say with St. Paul: “I know how to live with little, and I know how to live with plenty. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of having plenty, and of being in need. I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:12-13). 

God has blessed me throughout my life and I hope to share those blessings with others. In 2020, I was able to finish my degree in Elementary Education, and I am looking forward to learning together with the staff and students at St. Gabriel’s Parish School what it means to be attentive to God’s calling, to wonder at his ways, and joyfully, as Mary did at the Annunciation, to respond with our yes to his will.

“…for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”" Luke 1:37

Sr. Therese Marie Yank

Car-Line:

Please remember to have your sign (family name) visible in the windshield so that we may have students ready when you pull up to the doors.

After-School Learning & Care:

If you are in need of after-school care for your child, please remember to complete the January calendar.

In order to be able to provide adequate supervision, we ask that parents sign their children up at least one day in advance. Any changes should be reported to the office that morning. Due to staffing requirements, we may not be able to accommodate last-minute requests. If your child is not on the after-school care list they should not be staying after school! Supervision is required for any student in the building after hours.

After-School Learning & Care Sign Up



Winter Weather Reminders:

We all knew that the time would eventually come when we would have to talk about the cold temperatures and snow. That time is upon us. The snow is beautiful but it comes with some additional safety precautions. Here are a few reminders about our winter weather protocols.

1. Please make sure that your children come prepared to go outside for recess each day during winter. They will need boots, hats, and mittens. If the temperature, including the wind chill, is below 10 degrees, recess will be indoors.
2. Please remind your children that playing and building in the snow at school is ok, however, they cannot throw snow. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, snowball fights will need to be saved for home.
3. If we need to close school due to inclement weather, a notification will be sent to parents via email and text. The notification will also be posted on our website and Facebook page. In addition, we will report our school closing on WISN 12, and FOX 6.

Pancake Breakfast/Open House - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

As we kick off Catholic Schools Week next month (Jan. 29 - Feb. 4), the pancake breakfast is BACK (pancakes prepared by Hotcakes on the Go) and as in pre-Covid years is combined with our biggest recruitment event of the year - our annual Open House/Campus Tours Day on Sunday, January 29.

We need your help to make St. Gabriel SHINE on Sunday, January 29!:)  

The MARRC Committee has two easy "asks".

• Please click the link below to answer in one sentence - What is your "WHY" you chose St. Gabriel Catholic Parish School?

Answer the ONE Question HERE

• Please, please, please prayerfully consider sharing your time during the pancake breakfast/open house & at Mass! We need to fill our school and Mass with St. Gabriel parents, students, and alumni. We simply cannot do this event without your participation and help. We've kept the volunteer times short so if you only have a couple of hours to help out we would be grateful.

 CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER

Free/Reduced Lunch Applications:

Saint Gabriel Families may qualify for free or reduced lunch. You may fill out the application at any time throughout the school year. Once approved your family will be notified. Please go to St. Gabriel School Nutrition Program Lunch page on our website for more information. 

Or click on the link here

Information is located at the bottom of the page in red.

Or paste the below link in your browser: https://uploads.weconnect.com/mce/749fa825d1f9d8e78bd2495940f92586c04ef35a/Lunch%20Program/FreeReducedLunchInfo/2022-2023%20free-reduced-meal-application-noCEP.pdf

$CRIP News:

$crip cards are the perfect Christmas gift for all those hard to buy for people on your shopping list - mail persons, garbage collectors, babysitters, etc. We have a variety of cards available that are in stock. If you would like something that we don't have in stock, please plan ahead for holiday orders. We will place our last order on Monday, December 19, which should arrive by Thursday, December 22. NOTE - Some cards might be back ordered and we cannot guarantee delivery before the holidays. 

Visit the Raise Right (formally Shop with $crip) site for a complete list of participating stores or contact the School Office for an order form. $crip may be purchased after the weekend Masses, online, or in the School Office Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM until 2:30 PM. Please make checks out to St. Gabriel or cash 15 is also accepted. You may also use a credit card for online orders for a small fee.

We have distributed $504.35 in Tuition $crip Credits to 25 families participating in our $crip Fundraiser during the month of November. Special Thanks to each of these families for supporting our fundraising efforts! For the month of November, St. Gabriel raised $2,116.50, which goes a long way to support our school.

To become a part of this fundraiser, please call Laura Rogacki at the Parish Office at 262-628-1141.

for our Enrollment Code and go online today to get involved. 

If you have any questions, please contact Laura Rogacki in the Parish Office or Cindy Fassbender in the School Office (262-628-1711).

St Gabriel Parish & School Auction 2023:

Planning has begun for the 20th annual St Gabriel Parish & School Auction on March 4, 2023.

"Around the World in 20 Years -

What a Grand Adventure it's Been"

We are very excited to celebrate this wonderful milestone. 

Mark your calendars and join us at the next couple of planning meetings:

• Tuesday, January 3 at 6:30 PM 

VOLUNTEER - Get involved with planning this fun event! There are still some key openings on our committees and we need your help. Please click here to view the open volunteer roles. If you have questions about any of the positions, feel free to reach out to Connie Helm, Auction Chair, at [email protected].

GRAND RAFFLE - Don't forget to help us sell those grand raffle tickets at your holiday gatherings; there are some wonderful prizes this year! The family with the MOST GRAND RAFFLE TICKETS sold by March 1, 2023, will receive a $75 $crip choice certificate. Please reach out to Connie Helm if you need more to sell or have any questions.

SPONSOR / ADVERTISE / DONATE - If you or your business would like to become a sponsor or would like to donate, please visit our webpage for more information and ideas/link to our Amazon Wish List.

IVolunteer:

St. Gabriel School and Parish has a NEW volunteer sign-up database called Ivolunteer.

This platform allows St. Gabriel School and Parish families/parishioners to view all of our volunteer opportunities for both school and parish events on one (1) landing page/URL.

CHECK OUT ALL THE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES TODAY!

https://stgabrielhubertus.ivolunteer.com/

NOTE - Non-school families will NOT be allowed to volunteer at events when students are present.

All school volunteers are required to be certified in the Archdiocese Safe Guarding All of God's Family Class. Please visit this webpage for more details.

We encourage every committee who has volunteer opportunities to email Nikki Packee their needs at this NEW email - [email protected]. Please reach out to her at the email above should you have questions or visit this URL to volunteer!!! #manyhandsmakeworklight

Articles and updates for the school Gazette, weekly Parish Bulletin, Website, or Social Media may continue to be sent to the [email protected] email address.

On the Calendar...

• 12/15 - Christmas Concert 6:30 PM
• 12/17 and 12/18 - Wrap-a-Thon 9:00-4:00 PM
• 12/24-1/1 - Christmas Break
• 1/29 - Pancake Breakfast / Open House
• 1/30-2/3 - Catholic Schools Week

Peace and Blessings,

Kim Lestina

Principal

St. Gabriel Catholic Parish School

"Plant the seeds of kindness and watch love grow."

SCHOOL & PARISH EVENTS

Calling ALL Middle School Students, join Pizza with a Purpose on Friday, December 16 as they make items to benefit the Washington County Humane Society. Please email Lea Rosenberg at [email protected] if your middle school student would like to attend.

These fun bracelets will be sold after Masses in December, or you can send cash or check in a sealed envelope labeled ‘Jewelry Fundraiser’ to the school or parish office.  Bracelets will be sent home via school backpack mail or pick up after weekend Mass in discreet packaging. #makesagreatstnickgift

I WANT TO GET MY PRESENTS WRAPPED

I'D LOVE TO BE AN ELF AND HELP WRAP

We are utilizing Constant Contact for our bi-weekly Gazette. Please mark these emails as "safe" so you receive important updates and news from St. Gabriel Catholic Parish School.