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Hello St. Gabriel Families,
Check out the following headlines and links to stay updated on everything happening at St. Gabriel Parish School.
The headlines that are highlighted are NEW or UPDATED for this Gazette.
As you scroll towards the bottom of the Gazette, there are various messages/events/needs from our parish and school committees like the HSA (Home and School Association), ATHLETICS, ADULT & YOUTH MINISTRY, etc. Please continue to scroll down to the end of this email to see all that is happening at our vibrant school and parish!
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"TAKE ACTION NOW OR NEW" ARTICLES & LINKS | |
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Advent Prayer Services:
Just a reminder… Each Monday morning during Advent our students will meet in the gym at 8:10 a.m. for a short prayer service and the lighting of a candle on our living wreath. After the prayer service, each class will go back to their classroom and light the candle on their Advent wreath. Please join us in preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus this Advent season. Set up an Advent wreath in your home, and gather as a family each week to say a prayer and light a candle.
Christmas Concert:
Please join us for our annual Christmas concert Thursday, December 19th in the church at 6:30 p.m. Students should meet in the Parish Hall at 6:10. Parents, please keep your students’ coats with you. We are excited to see all of our students in their Christmas Mass outfits and hear all of the songs that they have been working so hard on for the past few months.
Mid-Year Survey: We Value Your Feedback!
At St. Gabriel Catholic Parish School, your experiences matter to us! Please take a moment to complete our mid-year survey by December 20. Your insights are vital as we strive to grow and improve.
We are truly grateful that you have entrusted us with your child(ren)'s education and look forward to continuing this journey together. Thank you for being an essential part of our school community!
What's Your WHY?:
We’d love to refresh our testimonials as part of our marketing efforts. Share your story with us! Click this link to briefly tell us why you choose St. Gabriel for your child/ren's education.
Where is the Blessed Mother this week?
Click this link to view some images of where families have prayed with Blessed Mother in their homes. You can upload your picture here.
After School Care:
December has flown by!!! Please remember to sign up for after-school care for the month of January. We need time to plan accordingly to have adequate staffing. Click the link below for the January ASLP sign-up.
January ASLP
Cold and Flu Season is Upon Us:
We are doing all we can to prevent the spread of germs here at school but ‘tis the season. Please help us prevent the spread of colds and the flu bug in our school. If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home. A student should not be in school if they need medicine to make it through the day.
Reminder: Students should be fever-free (without medication) and have no instances of vomiting for 24 hours before returning to school after an illness. If they are experiencing discomfort (headaches, persistent cough, sneezing, etc.) they should stay home. Please contact the school office, as soon as possible, whenever your child will be absent. If your child sees a physician for their illness, please remember to request a medical excuse for their absence from school. This should be turned in to the office upon their return.
FOOD DRIVE THANK YOU!:
Thank you to all the families for the overwhelming amount of donations of nutritious bars and peanut butter. We are grateful for your support to help our sister parish the Congregation of the Great Spirit in Milwaukee. Also if you participated in the Giving Tree at the parish, we thank you for your donations. Please see this week's bulletin for more information about the Congregation of the Great Spirit.
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INFORMATIONAL ARTICLES & LINKS
Please scroll all the way to the bottom!
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Winter Weather is Approaching:
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.
- 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.
- The sidewalks may be slippery! During drop-off and pick-up times, please remind your child(ren) to be extra careful getting into and out of your car. Also, please do not allow your children to walk behind the cars. We have had “fender benders” in the line and do not want anyone getting hurt.
- 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.
- 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 TMJ 4, FOX 6, and WISN 12.
Please see the attached letter from the area schools/districts for more information.
School Closing Information
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$crip Certificates:
We have issued nearly $500 in November Scrip Credits to 22 families participating in our Scrip Program.
For your last-minute shopping needs, our last organization order (before Christmas) will be placed on Monday, December 16 for pick up on Thursday, December 19.
This fundraiser is very easy and we hope that all of our families will participate by using gift cards for their Christmas purchases and Christmas gifts.
Please see Mrs. Schuh in the school office for more information about the Scrip program and how to turn gift card purchases into tuition credits.
$crip is available for purchase after the weekend Masses, in the school office from 9:00 a.m. - 2 p.m., or online.
Interested in learning more about buying online certificates using the RAISE RIGHT app? Please contact Finance Manager, Laura Rogacki, in the Parish Business Office at (262)628-1141 or lrogacki@stgabrielhubertus.org for the program code.
Already have an account with RaiseRight? Online orders will be filled on Mondays and available to pick up after the weekend Masses. For any questions about the $crip program, please email Laura Rogacki.
There are also additional opportunities to volunteer to assist with the selling of $crip after weekend Masses or to assist with order entry of $crip on Monday mornings in the office from 9 a.m. -11:00 am. Please visit iVolunteer to sign up or contact Linda Schuh in the school office at (262) 628-1711.
DID YOU KNOW...
ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE SCRIP POLICIES:
In order to qualify as a fundraiser under IRS rules and to avoid the possible incurring of unrelated business income tax liability for the parish/school, uncompensated volunteer hours must make up at least 85% of the total number of hours it takes to run the Scrip program. However, the parish/school is ultimately responsible for the program. Scrip volunteers are accountable to the parish/school staff employees charged with oversight responsibilities. Paid parish employees may perform some of the tasks, but their involvement should not exceed 15% of the total activities involved in the operation of the Scrip program. It is advisable to have logs or diaries maintained by volunteers and paid staff to track the time spent on the scrip program.
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Box Tops:
Last year from July 2023 to June 2024, we raised $360.30 just by scanning shopping receipts with Box Top products.
From July 1, 2024 - present we have raised $140.70 from the Box Tops program. Box Tops are worth $.10 each and they add up fast! Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need - equipment, supplies, or experiences the kids love! Did you know you can now connect your Walmart account for even easier fundraising? You can earn cash for your school without scanning receipts! See the app for more details.
iVolunteer Opportunites to Make a Difference at St. Gabriel:
Click the link below to view the current parish and school volunteer opportunities:
https://stgabrielhubertus.ivolunteer.com/
NOTE - Adults who work exclusively with other adults do not need to undergo safeguarding measures. However, if a minor is involved at any point, safeguarding protocols as outlined by the Archdiocese must be followed. All volunteers who volunteer during school hours are required to be certified in the Archdiocese Safe Guarding All of God's Family Class. You can visit this webpage for more details.
Per the update to the handbook regarding Volunteers, pg 12
VOLUNTEERS (4140) Volunteer service is a core value of a Catholic parish and school community and should be both encouraged and publicly acknowledged. The administration at St. Gabriel parish and school strongly believes that parental involvement and participation in school activities is a vital way to have a direct positive impact on your child’s school experience. Volunteers enable our school to run more smoothly, operate within our annual budget, and offer more family-friendly events. So that St. Gabriel can achieve our goals, we ask that each family volunteer at least 10-15 hours during the school year. Gratitude and appreciation for your volunteerism cannot be given with something of value-in-kind for your service. By definition, a volunteer is someone who gives services without any expressed or implied promise of remuneration.
We encourage every committee who has volunteer opportunities to email Nikki Packee their needs to this email nikki.packee@stgabrielhubertus.org. Please reach out, 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 bulletineditor@stgabrielhubertus.org email address.
On the Calendar...
12/14-15 - HSA Wrap-A-Thon - (Time slots are still available to have your presents beautifully wrapped by our St. Gabriel elves. All proceeds benefit HSA's Teacher Appreciation Week festivites - click here to sign up!)
12/16-20 - Holiday Spirit Week (see flyer below)
12/16 - HSA Meeting virtually at 7 p.m.
12/19 - Christmas Concert - 6:30 p.m.
12/23-1/1 - Christmas Break
1/17 - End of Trimester
1/20 - Inservice Day - No School
1/26 - Open House Showcase & Pancake Breakfast - Volunteers NEEDED
plus 2025/26 school registration begins
1/27-1/31 - Catholic Schools Week
2/7 - Inservice Day - No School
3/1 - Annual Parish and School Auction - Volunteers NEEDED
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Peace and Blessings,
Kim Lestina
Principal
St. Gabriel Catholic Parish School
We nurture academic excellence while we
Proclaim the Word, Form Disciples, Live a Sacramental Life
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PLEASE KEEP SCROLLING
A lot is happening at the School and Parish this week!!
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Over 40 volunteer opportunities for students, alumni, and parents are NOW available for the annual pancake breakfast & Open House Showcase.
Opportunities include:
Cashier, food server, middle school table cleaner, runner, greeter before Mass, Mass server, Mass lector.
Many opportunities are only a couple of hours so you can also attend Sunday Mass.
Help make St. Gabriel Catholic Parish School SHINE!
Please contact Nikki Packee at nikki.packee@stgabrielhubertus.org with any questions.
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Want to help out but unable to volunteer on Jan. 26? 🙋♀️🙋♂️🙋
Right-click the image 👉👇👉download it, and share it on your social network. #easypeasy
(Interested touring families can RSVP by visiting our website at www.sgabriel.org)
Then mark your calendar and plan to enjoy breakfast with us on Sunday, January 26.
#catholiceducation #stgabrielcommunity #learningisfunatStGabriel #iloveourstgabrielfamily
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NEW THIS YEAR
You can PREPAY for breakfast which includes all-you-can-eat pancakes,
eggs, sausage, applesauce, and beverages.*
$10 - 5th-grade to Adult
$5 - kids in 4K-4th grade
Under age 3 eat FREE
*Eggs, sausage, and applesauce are not all you can eat.
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Fundraising & Development by Connie Helm | |
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Year-End Giving:
As we approach the end of the year, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support of St. Gabriel School. Your generosity has a lasting impact on our students and allows us to provide a faith-centered education that shapes future leaders.
As we reflect on the blessings of 2024, we invite you to consider making a year-end gift to help us finish the year strong and start the New Year with renewed hope and purpose. Your donation directly supports our school’s mission to nurture both the academic and spiritual growth of our students, ensuring that we continue to provide a transformative educational experience for all.
In addition to supporting our school, your year-end gift may also provide tax benefits. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, donations to St. Gabriel School are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. A gift made before December 31st may reduce your taxable income for 2024, making it an ideal time to contribute. Please contact Connie Helm, Director of Development at chelm@stgabrielhubertus.org if you have questions or would like to donate to the school.
Thank you for being a vital part of our school community. Your faithfulness and support are deeply appreciated. May God bless you and your family abundantly in the coming year!
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2025 AUCTION NEWS -
Save the Date: March 1, 2025
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Volunteers are needed to make the annual auction a success. Click the image to see all the super fun volunteer opportunities available! | |
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1st Grade Bottle Book Projects:
Our first graders took creativity to a whole new level with their Bottle Book Project!
They chose a favorite book, read it, and shared why they loved their character and something special their character did in the story. Then, the fun began—they turned ordinary bottles into extraordinary characters!
Check out the pictures of their amazing bottle book characters—each one tells its own story!
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The 5th-graders were Flipping for Science and Creativity:
Last week our 5th-grade students followed the engineering process to design and test a recipe for the perfect pancake using what they learned about the properties of matter. They also practiced expository writing by creating a detailed group recipe that provided (OR ATTEMPTED) 😋clear instructions and information to our parent volunteer cook. It was a great experience for all! Mrs. Lestina was one of the judges and came up with the names!
Our winning group: 1st place-Can Cook for Family Anytime
The names of the rest of the groups were Cookie Contender, Golden Goodness, Sweet Success, and "Dough"n't Give Up all had honorable mentions!
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December Spirit Groups Activity!:
Last week, our Spirit Groups came together for a morning filled with prayer, learning, laughter, and Advent Bingo! Students from all grades teamed up with their Spirit Group, with older students guiding and helping the younger ones — a beautiful example of our Future Leaders.
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HSA NEWS & EVENTS
2024-2025 Board Members
- Christy Zach, President
- Jenny Fenzl & Kristen Burg, Co-Vice Presidents
- Ashley Long, Secretary
- Shari Waggoner, Treasurer
Email us: hsa@sgabriel.org
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Check out the fun pictures from the recent HSA events - Candy Bar Bingo & the Middle School Black Out Dance!
If anyone has additional pictures of these events, please email Nikki Packee at nikki.packee@stgabrielhubertus.org so they can be added the the yearbook drive.
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Merry Christmas from the Hawks Nest! | |
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Thanks for reading to the end!
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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.
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