December 12 is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. The feast commemorates the first appearance of Mary to Juan Diego, a Mexican laborer, atop Tepeyac hill on December 9, 1531. A sacred place, the hill had once been the location of temple to Tonantzin, the Aztec goddess of fertility. When she appeared to Juan Diego, Mary asked him to request the Bishop build a church on the hilltop. Initially doubtful of Juan Diego’s story, the Bishop asked that he produce a sign of the Virgin Mary.
Three days later, Mary appeared to Juan Diego again. She instructed him to gather roses, miraculously blooming on the hillside in December, and take them to the Bishop. Juan Diego placed the roses inside his
tilma (cloak), returned to the Bishop and opened his garment. As the roses fell to the floor, they revealed an imprint of Mary on the fabric of his
tilma – her tunic and mantel in the tradition of Aztec women, and bearing a pattern of stars and constellations. Some scholars have reported these patterns are similar to those that appeared in the sky above Mexico City on the morning of December 12, 1531. The Bishop built the first sanctuary in 1533, and in 1976 the current Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City was built.
The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated throughout the Western Hemisphere. Today at St. Catherine’s, Friends of the Atrium prayed the Rosary, our Lower Elementary classes read books on the story of Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Ms. Kathy’s afternoon students placed flowers at the altar in the Welcome Center.
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Friday, December 14
- Friends of the Garden Teaching Day, after drop-off (Welcome Center)
- PSO New Parent Welcome Committee Morning Children Play Date, 11:30 AM (Soccer Field)
Saturday, December 15
- Sociable: Christmas Lights Tour SOLD OUT
Tuesday, December 18
- Friends of the Library Work Day, after drop-off (Library)
Wednesday, December 19
- Christian Meditation for Parents, 8:05 AM (Atrium)
Thursday, December 20
- AC Market, 3:00 PM (Outside the Welcome Center)
Friday, December 21
- Friends of the Garden Work Day, after drop-off (Welcome Center)
- Early Dismissal at 12:00 PM. No aftercare available.
- PSO Faculty & Staff Appreciation Luncheon, 12:30 PM (Welcome Center)
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Casa de Esperanza PJ and Basic Needs Drive Ends Today
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Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our annual Christmas drive in support of Casa de Esperanza! Today was the last day to bring your donated pajamas, socks, and underwear to the Welcome Center. If you plan to donate items from the Casa
Basic Needs List
, you still have until tomorrow at 8:30 AM to bring them to school.
The PSO Casa de Esperanza Committee will visit the children of Casa this Friday to deliver your generous gifts – along with some delicious treats lovingly prepared by a team of SCM elves.
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Lots and Lots (and Lots!) of Coats in Lost and Found
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If your child is missing a coat or two, please remind them to stop by the Lost and Found to look for their misplaced belongings!
Christmas Break is almost here, and many of the items could come in handy during the time away from school.
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Christmas Concert and Dinner for the Dominican Sisters of Houston
For many years, Mindy and Tim Snow took SCM music students to St. Dominic Village to perform a Christmas concert and serve dinner for the Dominican Sisters. As the program grew and space at St. Dominic became a challenge, Mindy and Tim brought the festivities to St. Catherine’s Montessori. The tradition will continue on Thursday, December 20, with the Ensemble performing select pieces from the Book Fair Christmas Concert.
To make this annual event special for the Sisters, Friends of the Arts seeks volunteers to transport our guests to and from St. Catherine’s in the SCM buses, provide side dishes and desserts, and help the Ensemble students serve dinner.
Please
click here
to view the full list of volunteer needs and sign up.
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Join Our Steps 4 Students Team and Help Raise $16,000 for SCM Tuition Assistance
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Christmas Break is the ideal time to get organized for Steps 4 Students.
Register for the race, create your personalized fundraising pages, and visit with extended family and friends about why you race for St. Catherine’s and the impact their support can have on our community.
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Winter Sociables will conclude on Saturday with the sold out Christmas Lights Tour, and Spring Sociables are just around the corner! Next week we will share the 2019 Sociables Catalog to help you prepare for Sign-Up Day, which will be held at school on Friday, January 11. In the meantime, we’re excited to share two of the upcoming events – both returning favorites, one with a new twist.
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Classic Curries of India and Pakistan (Adults)
February 16, 2019 at 7:00 PM
Location: Lewis Residence
Join us for delicious curries and traditional food from India and Pakistan. International wines and beer will be served.
Hosts: Naureen Ahmeduddin and Russel Brink, Sarah and Christopher Lewis, Nazia and Thaha Mirza, Corine and Joel Noronha, Carrie and Kristen Procinsky
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Mommies, Martinis & Memoirs (Adults)
March 23, 2019 at 2:00 PM
Location: Matin Residence
Shaken or stirred? Neat or dirty? Share the afternoon with your fellow SCM moms while we sample a variety of martinis, eat delectable hors d'oeuvres, and visit with friends. As a special treat, Brazos Bookstore will attend and talk to us about some memorable memoirs. Get to know more about amazing reads from around the world. The famous Grapefruit Rosemary Martini will be on the menu, as well as our signature caramelized bacon! All attendees need to arrange for a ride (safety first) - spouse/friend, taxi, or Uber.
Hosts: Misty Matin, Mary Tysor, Saudia Turney
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PSO Faculty & Staff Appreciation Luncheon
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Dear SCM Parents,
The annual PSO Faculty & Staff Appreciation Luncheon is at 12:30 PM on Friday, December 21. We have planned a Tropical Holiday Luncheon and need your help to make the event a success.
Volunteer opportunities are available
. If you would like to contribute to help cover the cost of the catering, please leave your donation in the envelope at the front desk, or contact Misty Matin to send funds via PayPal or Venmo.
We appreciate your help as we celebrate the SCM team!
Sincerely,
Claudine Johnson, Cyndi Melton, Vanessa Barfuss and Misty Matin
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Morning Children Play Date on Friday, December 14
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The PSO New Parent Welcome Committee would like to invite the families of
all
AM children (new and returning!) to join us on the SCM soccer field this Friday, December 14 at 11:30 AM for snacks and play time.
For those who wish to attend, please drive through the carpool line as usual to pick up your child, then park and walk through the school entrance to join us at the soccer field. We hope to see you there!
Thanks,
Erin Allison, Dana Bayer, Vy Collett, Amber McCarthy, Mary Anna Nagorski, Angela Schmeidel, and Angela Randall
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We are finally here!
In Greece we toured the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, explored the Parthenon, had Mass at the
Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, traveled to Cape Sounion to see Poseidon's Temple and more!
We boarded a plane to Florence, Italy and have had an amazing time exploring the city and all of the museums. We have gone to the Museo di San Marco, the Uffizzi Gallery, and we made sure to have time for gelato. Next stop Rome!
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Inside and
Outside
the Classroom
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Upper Elementary Travels to Camp Kappe
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On Tuesday, Ms. Maggie and Mr. Tim’s classes departed for Camp Kappe’s
School of Environmental Education (S.E.E.)
in Plantersville, TX. S.E.E. provides Catholic school students with a four-day outdoor experience of God's gift of nature while studying astronomy, life cycles, biodegradability and decomposition, animal husbandry, and more.
Before this trip, the Upper Elementary students began the opening chapters of their astronomy lessons, and many have been conducting astronomy research. Their classroom lessons on the interdependency between humans and domesticated animals connect to the study of food chains and other topics they will explore while away. Camp Kappe also offers hands-on experience with farm animals and gardening, along with many other exciting adventures in outdoor education.
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AC Market: Holiday Treats and a Market Schedule Change
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At Market this week homemade hot chocolate mix will be making its debut. We are just getting started with the holiday season, and this is one of the many winter-themed desserts to come. It makes a wonderful gift and a festive drink.
We will be having Market on Thursday, December 20, 2018 and not on Tuesday due to the Adolescent Community being on our Spiritual Retreat. This schedule change will allow you to pick up your soap orders and other products from Market before Christmas Break.
Madison H., AC Market Manager
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If you would like to submit something for the Globe, please send it for approval to
globe@stcathmont.org
by
Monday at noon.
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
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