December 2015
Our Redeemer Christian School * Kirkland, Washington * 425-821-2425
www.orcskirkland.com
Erin Selvig, School Director * Jan Barnhart, Newsletter Publisher
www.facebook.com/orcskirkland
Erin Selvig
Advent is not only the season to prepare for Christmas but also a time to
focus our hearts & minds to await the second coming of Jesus.
Advent is a time for prayerful and joyful expectations. Children begin to
feel the excitement of all the preparations going on around them, and
of course, want to be included.
The Advent Season abounds with opportunities for children to join in
the excitement of preparing for the celebration of Christ’s birth.
Some ways to encourage children's participation are:
Encourage your children to make simple Christmas cards to take to nursing homes.
Talk to them about why you bring non-perishable food donations into school for
Hopelink.
Help them purchase a toy for a less fortunate child.
These kinds of activities will help children to experience Advent as a season for sharing,
giving, and caring.
Have a blessed Christmas!
The best gift of Christmas lies not beneath the tree, wrapped in
shiny paper with a bow tied carefully…
But in a crude manger, in a simple cattle stall,
where God’s love came as Jesus – the BEST Christmas GIFT TO ALL.
May we experience God’s gift of love and
find the joy of Christmas every day of the New Year.
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
Corinthians 9:15
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ORCS “Chapel” December 1 & 2 last 15 minutes of class
(Early Preschool attends starting in March)
ORCS parents, grandparents & family are invited to Chapel!
Tuesday a.m.
Wednesday a.m.
Chapel - Dec. 1
Chapel - Dec. 2
T/Th Preschool (Gray / Sharma)
Kindergarten (Johnson / Schwindt)
M/W/F Preschool (Gray / Sharma)
T/W/Th Pre K (Marpert / Marovich)
Tuesday p.m.
Chapel - Dec. 1
T/W/Th Preschool (Hagan / Kattenhorn)
M/T/Th Pre K (Schwindt / Kirstine)
M/T/W/Th Pre K (Bornemeier / Marovich)
Pastor Moland will talk about
“The Shepherds Coming to
See Baby Jesus”
Come join ORCS during the last 20 minutes of your child’s class. Coffee and cookies will be set up in the big room for parents, come a few minutes early and mingle
then move into the sanctuary to choose a seat for “All-School-Singing”
to listen to the children sing Christmas songs to celebrate this season.
Wednesday A.M.
All School Singing - Dec. 16th
M/W Early Preschool (Laughlin / Donahue)
M/W/F Preschool (Gray / Sharma)
T/W/Th Pre K (Marpert / Marovich)
Thursday A.M.
All School Singing - Dec. 17
T/Th Early Preschool (Laughlin / Rosebrook)
T/Th Preschool (Gray / Sharma)
Kindergarten (Johnson / Schwindt)
Thursday P.M.
All School Singing - Dec. 17
T/Th Early Preschool (Laughlin / Rosebrook)
T/W/Th Preschool (Hagan / Kattenhorn)
M/T/Th Pre K (Schwindt / Kirstine)
M/T/W/Th Pre K (Bornemeier / Marovich)
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PLAYDOUGH: Taunya Dubail, Amy Olsen, Sarah Heisler, Maggie
Moormeier, Sarah Boyd,Bree O’Brien, Ypha Schwartz and David
Farmer
DONATIONS & DONORS: Melissa Schwatz (teacher prep); Carole
Lehtinen, Lily Leong, Emily Cooper, Kelly Burns, Traci Blanchard,
Nancy Gould, Melissa Douma, Sarah Martinsen, Kelli Hall, Stacey
VandeMark, Brian Jones, Julie Marovich, and Deb Marpert
VOLUNTEERS: Mrs. Reith - playing the Marimba for the T/Th am Early Preschool
T/W/TH A.M. Pre K CLASS TREATS: Amy Olsen, Mindy Newcombe, RJ Owens, Amy
Singley, Sarah Kenworthy, Donna Liebick, Jill Benoit, and Ashley Larson
Click here for web site
Hopelink.org
Dates to Remember
December 2015
Dec. 1
ORCS Board Committee Mtg. - 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 1 & 2 Chapel (last 15 min. of class)
Dec. 14
Finance Mtg. - 7:00 .m
Dec. 16 & 17 All School Singing
Christmas songs (last 30 min. of class)
Dec. 21– Jan. 1 Christmas Vacation - No School
January 2016
Jan. 4
School Resumes
Jan. 5
ORCS Board Mtg. - 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 5 & 6
Chapel (last 15 min. of class)
Jan. 18
Martin Luther King Day - No School
Jan. 20 & 21All School Singing (last 15 min. of class)
Jan. 22
Jan. 27
ORCS Staff Mtg. 12:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Thank you for donating
a non-perishable food item
during the thanksgiving feast
and with your tuition payments.
470 pounds of food and dry
goods was donated in
November!
THANK YOU ORCS
PARENTS
for your DONATIONS!!
Thank you Amanda Sics for
taking the food donations to
Hopelink!
ORCS is passionate about
giving back to the community!
Keep others in mind this
holiday season.
All donations can be placed
in the Hopelink donation
barrel in the lobby
Preschool Open House 6:30 - 7:30
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Poignant Pageantry
“Thank God for his son his GifT Too wonderful for words.”
I Corinthians 9:15
It’s a great tradition. Each Christmas Eve my wife’s family would
reenact the Christmas story in a loosely organized pageant. Barbara’s
father would read the account from Luke chapter 2 as it was acted out
by children and adults.
We have continued the tradition over the years with our six children.
Each of them has had many opportunities to add their creative touch
to the story, and many happy memories have been made!
I love to see children dress up and play the various parts of the story of the birth of Christ.
Every girl should have an opportunity to “be Mary” and reenact the wonder of that glorious night
when God became flesh. Every boy should have the opportunity to “be Joseph” and to begin to
appreciate that miracle which occurred in a stable in Bethlehem.
Pageantry is a great tool for teaching your children to engage with the miracle of Jesus’ birth as
our Savior. In addition to being involved with your church and ORCS pageantry, consider including a Christmas play in your family celebration. It need not be long or polished, but it will bring
the wonder of the event to your family and to your guests in personal and poignant
meaning.
Happy Parenting!
Save the date
May
your Christmas
be wrapped in Joy
and filled with Love, Best
Wishes for Peace, Health
and Happiness throughout the
coming year. Merry Christmas
And
Happy
2016!
Classes
Resume
Jan. 4
“Wednesday,
January 27th”
ORCS Open House
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
For currently enrolled and
prospective families to come
visit the teachers,
classrooms and facility.
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ADVENT BEGINS Sunday, November 29th
Advent is a gift of time during which we can focus our hearts and minds
on the coming of God’s Son, Jesus.
Come join Our Redeemer Lutheran Church’s
Sunday Worship Service - 9:30 am
as each candle is lighted on the Advent wreath.
The candles symbolize HOPE, PEACE, LOVE & JOY.
The gift of Jesus is so great that we often think it is necessary to try and do everything to
prepare ourselves to celebrate His birth. We do service projects, special craft projects, attend church and school programs, bake, entertain and shop. It is reassuring to know that
even if we don’t fit everything in or do it all right, that everything can
be perfect.
Everything will be perfect if our focus is simply the gift of Jesus and
the love He brings into our lives.
Enter this holiday season then with joy and peace.
Remember, “nothing may go right and
everything will be perfect.”
The following song is one of our school’s favorite Christmas songs:
The New Little Baby Boy
The star it shone so bright, oh yes,
The star it shone so bright…
The wisemen brought their gifts, oh yes, the
wisemen brought their gifts, for Mary and Joseph
Over Mary and Joseph and the new little baby boy. and the new little baby boy.
The shepherds came to see, oh yes, the shepherds It happened long ago, oh yes, it
happened long ago. But we still
came to see, Mary and Joseph and the new little
remember, the new little baby
baby boy.
A BIG Thank YOU to the families who contributed
to the Christmas Child “Shoe Box”
The gifts will bring Christmas joy to children around the world.
Hooray! We surpassed out goal of 50 “Shoe Boxes”.
ORLC was able to mail 66 boxes on Tue., Nov. 16th. The postage of $7 a
box also was donated ($462.)!
Click here for more information on this program
SAMARITAN’S PURSE.
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A warm invitation
to attend
ORLC’s Annual Sunday School Children’s
“Christmas Program”
Sunday, December 20th during 9:30 a.m. Worship Service
Following the service, fun, festive, Christmas
cookies will be served for all to enjoy.
HOLIDAY FOOD BASKETS….
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE WANT TO SHARE WITH OTHERS!
 Cash donations are needed for these Holiday Food Baskets.
 Thanksgiving Baskets were given for distribution and we are now creating Christmas Baskets.
 Please place your designated donation in Sunday’s offering plate or contact Pastor Moland if
you and your family would like to participate.
 If you have any questions, contact Vilma Luck or Kristine Dootson at 425 821-2424
THAK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MUCH NEEDED MINISTRY.
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Thursday, December 24th at 5:00 pm
ORCS parents, family and friends are invited
to join ORLC to celebrate Christmas Eve
together at a traditional candlelight service.
The prelude of beautiful Christmas music
will begin at 4:30 pm.
Hand bells will be joined with familiar carols
as we worship Christ, the newborn King.
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