Upper School students pictured at the House Thanksgiving Feast

DThe upper school is hosting a school wide bake sale TOMORROW to raise the additional $125 per red tub to donate to the MFCC. Please support our efforts to bring Christmas to the children in the Memphis area foster care community by buying baked goods. Members of the service and spirit committees along with the class reps will be baking lots of treats, but anyone who loves to bake is welcome to send in donations! No nuts please!

All are welcome to join us for Cantabile on Wednesday mornings at 8:10 in the sanctuary. Head of Grammar School, Mrs. Emily Newman will speak to us this Wednesday on our virtue of the month, charity.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Matthew 22:37-39

Red Tub Day Service Project: Items Due Thursday

Red Tub Day was started 15 years ago by Memphis Family Connection Center in an effort to provide care for the many children in the foster care system in the Memphis area. Churches, businesses, and individuals from across the city have come together to help these children feel seen and loved during the Christmas season by providing "red tubs" filled with gifts specific to each child’s wish list. Additionally, donations go to the Empowerment Fund which provides scholarships for therapeutic services and specialized training for children and families in the system.

This year, each Westminster grammar school class from JK-6 has the opportunity to fill a tub. The wish list for each child has been sent out via email from the room parents, with all items due to your child's classroom by this Thursday, December 4. The Upper School students will host a bake sale tomorrow, December 2, to raise the additional $125 per tub to donate to the MFCC, helping offset the cost of integrated therapeutic services for Memphis area families throughout the year. The upper school service committee also plans to help MFCC sort and prep tubs and then host a table to pass out treats at the Red Tub Day party where the kids will receive their gifts. 

Invite a friend and come to our community playtime for little ones and parents. Children will enjoy crafts and games while parents have an opportunity to socialize. Snacks and coffee will be served. This event takes place from 9-10 am on the first Friday of the month in the CLC. 

If you would like to participate in contributing towards Christmas gifts for our grammar school PSALMS teachers and our upper school teachers, please click the link below for more information.

Please join us for our very special Grammar School Lessons and Carols next Wednesday morning, December 10, at 8:10 in the sanctuary. All parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends are invited to attend!

The Defender Drama Troupe will be staging Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, adapted by Isabella Russel-Ides, on Thursday, December 11, and Friday, December 12, at 6:30pm, in the RBC Youth Room of the CLC. Tickets may be purchased at the door via FACTS, cash, or check. Cost is $12 for adults and $7 for students and senior citizens.

All women of Westminster are invited to attend a morning of feasting and fellowship as we pause together to enjoy a Christmas devotion from Vicki Halford, former WA librarian. The gathering will be at the home of Melissa Zelinkski at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, December 17. We hope to see you there! 

Please join us in welcoming our new Campaign Manager, Kristi Rice! Kristi grew up in the Chicago area and has happily called Memphis home for the past thirteen years. She and her husband, Jesse, have three busy kids and two dogs, all part of the Westminster Defenders family.

Most days you’ll find Kristi dropping off forgotten lunches (or Becket bricks), cheering at games, helping coach the boys’ basketball team, or sharing a cup of strong coffee with another parent. She loves the ordinary rhythm of school life and the chance to know families by name.



Kristi has spent years working in marketing and development, mostly with nonprofits and Christian ministries, and she’s grateful for any opportunity to help Westminster share its story clearly and keep growing in ways that honor Christ. More than anything, she’s thankful to be part of this community and excited to serve alongside everyone here.

Congratulations to these awesome string and brass players for being selected by audition to participate in All West Honors Orchestras and Bands! 

11-12 Orchestra: Samantha Skinner (concertmaster) and Lanie Christiansen 

9-10 String Orchestra: Sophie Herring 

6-8 Middle School String Orchestra: Naviah Atwood, Xara Atwood, and John Mark Atwood (alternate) 

6-8 Middle School Band: Daniel Henley  

• Current EFS Recipients: You should have received an email on November 20 from the State of Tennessee regarding the renewal of your students EFS award for the 2026-2027 school year. Renewal applications will open on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 12:00 pm. The state will send out an email today, December 1, with more information on renewing your student's scholarship. Please visit the EFS website for more information and to log into your portal.

• New EFS Applicants:  If your student does not currently receive an EFS award or is on the waitlist, new student applications will open on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 12:00 pm.  Please note that new for the 2026-27 school year, scholarships will be awarded based on the prioritization outlined in the Education Freedom Act of 2025.



• Tuition Assistance Applicants: You must apply for the EFS or ESA and the MOST scholarship, if eligible. The 2026-27 tuition assistance application deadline is January 9, 2026. Please apply sooner rather than later!

A new semester is just around the corner, which means new enrichments are available through our aftercare program. This spring, students will have opportunities for soccer, ballet, tumbling, chess, karate, and more! Please click the link below for more information.

Westminster Defenders, we want to practice and review ways to stay safe, both at home and school. Let's review our 2nd Fire Safety Educational Announcement for the 2025-2026 school year. The more prepared we are for a possible fire, the safer we will be. Smoke detectors should be located on every floor of your home and are installed in every room at our school. Smoke detector batteries should be changed on a regular basis at home and are regularly checked here at school. Planning and practice keep us safe!

Upcoming Dates to Remember...

December 10 - Grammar School Lessons and Carols at 8:10am

December 11-12 - Defender Drama Troupe Performance at 6:30pm

December 17 - WPA Women's Christmas Coffee at 10:00am at the Zelinskis

December 18 - Christmas Choir Concert at 6:30pm

December 19 - Secret Santa (1/2 day)

December 22-January 2 - Christmas break

January 5 - Teacher-in-service (no school)

January 6 - School resumes

January 9 - Homecoming

January 14 - Class pictures

January 15 - State of School Address

January 16 - House Initiation

January 19 - MLK Day (no school)

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