St. Isidore School Newsletter

November 28, 2018 - Walking Together in Faith

Grace - St. Francis of Assisi

Dear St. Isidore Families,

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!”

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! The Christmas season is upon us, and the next few weeks are some of the best of the year at SIS. Soon we will deck the halls, trim the tree, practice our Christmas carols until they are perfect, and prepare for the birth of baby Jesus. The magic of the season brings happiness to all, so take time to relish the feelings of joy and love this time of year brings.

The Advent Season

Advent starts Sunday, December 2nd, and ends Monday, December 24th. Our theme this year is “ Christ is the Heart of Christmas .” Celebrating Advent enhances Christmastime and allows you to prepare for the coming of Jesus. Please try to attend mass with your family to watch the advent candle lighting. Attending mass gives you the opportunity to quietly reflect on your relationship with God. Also, join us at our all-school masses every Friday morning in December at 8:10am.

Mix & Mingle

Please join us tonight , November 28th, at 6pm in the Hospitality Lounge for a Mix & Mingle with Maria and Dennis. This casual mixer will give us the opportunity to come together as a school community to communicate, collaborate, and share ideas. You will receive one PEP hour for attending . Please feel free to come anytime since we plan to be there until 8pm. Connect with fellow parents and friends while enjoying light refreshments. Cheers!

Now Accepting Applications for Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten for 2019–2020

Calling all pre-school-aged children! Applications are now available for TK and kindergarten for the 2019–2020 school year. Children must be four by September 1st for TK and five by September 1st for kindergarten . We look forward to meeting our future Bulldogs! Click here to apply.

SIS Children’s Christmas Boutique

Find plenty of holiday cheer next Wednesday, December 5th, at the students’ Christmas Boutique. For details about this annual event, click here . This is without a doubt one of the students’ favorite days of the year, and your support is appreciated. The proceeds from this event go directly to other less-fortunate schools in our diocese. To paraphrase Pope Francis, helping the less fortunate is not a fad, it is a duty. Volunteers are needed. Please click here to help.

Sip & Shop

Avoid the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping by joining us on Thursday, December 6th at 6pm at our annual Sip & Shop Holiday Market. This festive event truly offers something for everyone. Five dollars from every ticket purchased will be donated to the Butte County fire victims . Click here to purchase your ticket.

#Giving Tuesday

Thank you to everyone who donated to SIS on Giving Tuesday! We raised over ten thousand dollars. Donations received during this national day of giving assist in our efforts to keep tuition costs down, provide competitive salaries and professional development opportunities for our staff, strengthen our specialty programs, and support ongoing campus updates. Please know that your generosity makes a difference, and we appreciate it greatly!

In an effort to increase campus safety, a secured gate has been installed at the front entrance of the school. This enables us to better monitor who has access to the school. Please ring the bell, and we will promptly buzz you in. We appreciate your patience and support as we adjust to this new entry process.

We have lots of fun events planned during the next few weeks, so remember to check the weekly newsletters and school website for information on upcoming events.

God bless,

Maria Ward

Principal

Important Dates

Wednesday, November 28 - Mix & Mingle with Maria and Dennis at 6pm.
Friday, November 30 - Mass Grades 6,7,8 (led by grade 8).
Sunday, December 2 - Advent Begins.
Tuesday, December 4 - Candy Cane Sales. Reconciliation grades 3,4,5.
Wednesday, December 5 - Christmas Boutique, Reconciliation grades 6,7,8.
Thursday, December 6 - Candy Cane Sales. Sip & Shop at 6pm.
Friday, December 7 - All School Mass (led by grade 4).
Tuesday, December 11 - Candy Cane Sales.
Thursday, December 13 - Candy Cane Sales. Christmas Concert at 7pm.
Friday, December 14 - All School Mass (led by grade 6), KOC Toy Drive.

Prayers

Please pray for all those who are suffering or are in need of our thoughts and prayers, especially the Vitzthum Family's uncle - Brad Goforth, Rita Edwards and all those affected by the fires throughout California. May God keep them in His tender, loving care.

PTG

Only a few days left!

Please be sure to donate your $500 per child to Mind The Gap before November 29th to be entered in the drawing to win these fabulous prizes. Thank you to everyone who has already donated.

1. All class pizza or In N’ Out Burger class party

2. All-class free dress

3. One month free tuition for ONE child

Auction Parties

We are looking for families to host a party for the St. Isidore School Gala this year! Click here for more information.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the 2018-2019 school year. Thank you for all those who have already sponsored our school. More information and forms can be found here. Click here to view current sponsors.

We would like to recognize Tampico Terrace Care Cente r a Diamond Level Sponsor. Tampico Terrace has b een a loyal supporter to our school for many years. We are grateful for their support!

Christmas Boutique

The School Christmas Boutique for the SI students is Wednesday, December 5th. Click here to help at this fun and festive event or sign up to bring a snacks for all of the hard working elves! Whatever you can do to help is much appreciated . Click here for details regarding the donation items that each family is asked to bring on Tuesday, Dec 4 . The Leadership team will be collecting your items during the morning carpool. All proceeds from the boutique go directly to our less fortunate sister schools in the area. Thank you for your support! For Questions contact Maura at [email protected]

If you are interested chairing this event next year please contact Kim Andrews at [email protected].

Sip & Shop

Tickets for our annual Sip & Shop fundraiser are on sale now! The event takes place on Thursday, December 6 ^th from 6-9 p.m. in the Msgr. Cardelli Activities Center. This wonderful annual school fundraising tradition brings together over 30 local, regional and national vendors for one evening of fantastic gift and holiday shopping. The best part is that a portion of everything you purchase that night goes right back to St. Isidore School. Tickets are $35 before December 5th and $40 at the door on December 6 ^th . Ticket price includes event entry, WINE, light hors d’oeuvres and desserts. Click here to purchase your Sip & Shop ticket. $5 from every ticket sold will be donated to the Butte County fire victims.

Did You Know?

Twenty- four of our current SIS parents used to wear the SIS uniform!

Alumni shout out: Robbie Anderson, Tara Beane, Linda Biles, Teresa Bowes, John Brychel, Adrienne Feyock, Monica Fonseca, Rick Freeman, Christine Gaber, Justin Gagnon, Tracy Geddis, Allison Hickinbotham, Tom Lickiss, Kathleen Litvinenko, Jenny Lyons, Bob Marx, Pete Mazzetti, Mike Palm, Erica Perez, Allie Rago, Laura See, Jill Tripaldi, Christine Vranesh and Justin Walsh. Thank you for sending your children to SIS! If you are alumni but not listed, please click here to update your information.

Check out the NEW SIS BLOG on the school website! That's right, we have a blog! It's a fun way to see the cool things we do at school. Stay "On the Go & In the Know!" Click here to check it out.

Random Act of Kindness

Random acts of kindness are deliberate attempts to brighten another person's day by doing something thoughtful, nice, and caring. Go out and spread kindness SIS. Please let the office know if you do or witness a RAOK.

Scouting for Food: SIS Cub Scout Pack 804 rushed to help the Butte County fire victims by collecting monetary donations & canned food. With the help of the Contra Costa Food Bank they collected 2,456 pounds of food which equates to 2,047 meals and $109. The truck filled with food is directly headed to Paradise to help those in need. We are proud of you Pack 804!

Choicelunch feeding those in need: When schools across the East Bay cancelled due to air quality Choicelunch was left with over 5,000 lunches and no one to serve. The Choicelunch Team sprung into action and headed to Chico with a truck full of food. They delivered over 1,000 meals to displaced families! Way to go Choicelunch.

Challenge Success

Five Resolutions For Becoming a More Grateful Parent- Part 1

Dr. Madeline Levine

I will make sure my child gets a full night’s sleep. Kids need between nine and 12 hours a night. Sleep deprivation impairs concentration, memory, and the ability to accurately read emotional cues. It makes kids crabby and compromises their ability to learn.
I will remember that I am a parent, not a CEO. Results are down the line, not at the end of the quarter. This means the occasional “B” or “C” will not break your child’s future prospects. Stop catastrophizing. You won’t see the final fruits of your parenting until your child is grown and gone.
I will remember the success trajectory is a squiggle … not a straight line. Few of us become successful by simply putting one foot in front of the other. Most of us encounter a multitude of twists, turns, direction changes, and stops on the way to our goals.
I will love the child in front of me. Appreciate and be thankful for your child’s unique gifts. Children are talented in a multitude of different ways. See your child’s particular talents clearly.
I will not push my child to be perfect. Besides genetics, perfectionism is the strongest predictor of clinical depression. Life is full of mistakes, imperfect days, and human failings. Kids need to learn how to cope with these inevitabilities. They (and you) need to be able to feel happiness and gratitude in the face of imperfection.

Adopt a Family

The Adopt a Family Program is still in need of donors! There are a few more families in need of being adopted for Christmas. If you would like to help,

please contact Maura Piombo-Pacas at [email protected] or

call 362-1901. Thank you!

Student Leadership

Candy Cane Sales will begin Tuesday, December 4th! Candy Cane Sales will be sold in the mornings on 12/4, 12/6, 12/11 and 12/13. ALL PROCEEDS will be going to the Fire Victims of Butte County. Thank you for your support!

Performing Academy Drama Program

Performing Academy and St. Isidore School presents Disney's The Jungle Book this Friday, November 30th at 5pm and Saturday, December 1st at 7pm at the Del Valle Theater in Walnut Creek. Click here to purchase your tickets! Click here for directions to the theater.

Teacher Gift Contribution

In an effort to make gift giving easier we invite you to participate in a group Teacher Gift for CHRISTMAS and END OF THE YEAR. If you are interested, please see click here. This is completely voluntary! Due by this Friday, November 30th