HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC SCHOOL
+ teaching as Jesus did, since 1868 +
3002 Bay Settlement Road + Green Bay, Wisconsin + 54311
Phone & Fax: (920) 468-0625
Principal: Gary Stepanek
www.holycrossfamily.org
[email protected]
www.holycrossfamily.blogspot.com
December 5, 2012
Dear Parents & Guardians
Today we participated in an All School Reconciliation service. The sacrament of forgiveness is
both a powerful and humbling experience. It is a difficult thing to examine your actions and
attitudes and find them lacking. Of course we all fall short of perfection (as a student visiting my
office repeatedly reminded me once) but it isn’t always easy to admit it. And although we all do
sin through human frailty we are asked to do something about improving ourselves (which I
explained to that same student).
If you want to see some real change in your life, tap into the power of renewal that is embodied
in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Say yes to our Lord’s offer wipe the slate clean and take
control of our lives. Maybe this won’t be the last confession you’ll ever make, but it could be
the start of something remarkable.
Next week
Thursday, December 13th Holy Cross Christmas Concert. Dress Rehearsal at 12:45 (public
welcome) Night Performance 6:30 (students at school at 6:15)
Friday, December 14 4K will be joining their 5th grade reading buddies to share the Holiday
Spirit at 4 nursing homes. We will leave at 8 and will be stopping at 2 nursing homes in the
morning, take a lunch break at Pizza Ranch and then head to 2 more nursing homes in the afternoon!
Also on Friday December 14th, 1:30 – 6:00 pm is the Cookie Walk in the Holy Cross Gym. A
Cookie Walk is an elegant display of exceptionally yummy Christmas goodies (from cutouts to
Bourbon balls and everything in between). You can walk around the tables, grab one of our boxes and fill it with any combination you choose to purchase for your families and guests this holiday season. You pay by the pound.
Family Mass
Our special Mass for the intention of our school families will be held on December 21st. This
is our school’s gift to Holy Cross families and you are invited to join us at 8:00 a.m. for this
special liturgy
Football Mania
Congratulations to our three winners in Week 13:
#1027 - $25 to Cary Anderson
#2928 - $25 to Brandon & Sarah Doyle
#1174 - $50 to Jeff & Beth Den Ruyter
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What's Happening in Spanish Class for December
Congratulations to our kindergarten class! They have just begun to learn the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag in Spanish. Last year's class (our present first grade) started at
this time one year ago. You should hear how great they sound now as a group! Way to go, boys
and girls!
During December, the students in kindergarten through eighth grade will be hearing about
Christmas in Spanish speaking countries. A Christmas prayer is recited by class and "Noche de
Paz" (Silent Night) is a familiar melody sung in each classroom. We also can't forget about December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Kindergarten through fifth grade students begin their chapter on clothing this month. At
home, the children will be ready to use their new vocabulary as they put away their clothes.
Sixth grade is putting together a December calendar in Spanish which will be used for each
remaining class this month. The seventh grade students are very capable with their conversations regarding school. The eighth grade students explain their morning routine using reflexive
verbs. Monologues are presented in front of their peers.
Advent at Holy Cross
During the season of Advent the Kindergarten and third grade classes will unite to collect toilet
paper, canned fruit and monetary donations for the Freedom House. The Freedom House is
located off University Avenue on the east side of Green Bay and serves homeless families in our
community. The Freedom House is 95% funded through the generosity of our community. Only
5% of their funding is provided by the government. We will work together to provide what we
can. We will also unite to make Christmas cards for them. If you would like to create a
Christmas card as a family that would be great!
The 1st graders put together our Advent Wreath and learned about the symbols of the wreath as
we put it together. We put out our empty stable that is waiting for the coming of Mary, Joseph
and baby Jesus. Each week, as we light another candle, one piece of the Nativity will be added to
the stable. Each day we sit around our Advent Wreath, light the candle and listen to an Advent
song. We are preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus as we try to do little acts of kindness
each day.
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Advent is the time in the church year when we prepare to celebrate a special event, the birth of
Jesus. During Advent we wait, we pray, and we prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus on
Christmas. In Third Grade we are preparing by singing our "Waiting Song", lighting our Advent
Wreath, participating in our weekly Advent Prayer Service, and following suggestions on how to
prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. Please ask your child about our Advent activities.
The fourth graders made a door hanger which says "Come Lord Jesus!" for their bedroom
doors. Also, a wreath "Jesus is Coming" for their lockers in which a flame will be colored for
each week of Advent. We also have our Advent Prayer Service done around our advent wreath in
our classroom.
The 5th graders are talking about the importance of Advent and will be making Advent Wreaths
and Nativity scenes. We will also be singing Christmas Carols at the Nursing homes and bringing Advent crafts to the residents.
The 7th Grade curriculum is focused on the life of Jesus. Earlier in the year we read the stories
of the Incarnation in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. We studied the mystery of our God becoming the flesh of Jesus Christ, as well as, the glorious birth of our Lord. This Advent season,
we are focusing on spiritual reflection and how we can continue to spread the Good News of our
faith inside our school and in our community. Student’s artwork depicting the Beatitudes decorates our walls and a modest Christmas tree has been decorated (book theme of course) and adds
light to these dark days of December. This week we will study the Advent wreath and continue
to light each day the first candle signifying HOPE. And my gift each school day to the students
will be small tokens they receive through our Advent calendar.
Christmas Concert info
Here's the important information you will need for next week's Christmas Program.
Thursday, December 13th
Dress Rehearsal at 12:45 (public welcome)
Night Performance 6:30 (students at school at 6:15)
K-4 students are to wear school uniform bottoms and spirit wear tops (solid colored polo if not
available)
Band and choir students to wear black bottoms and white tops
Band students meet in the art/computer/band room
Choir students meet in the library
K-5 students meet in their rooms.
Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions :)
.
Kelly’s corner
Hello EveryoneLast week I wanted to have a table set out in the lobby for Lost and Found. Because of the
stage for the Christmas concert being in the lobby this was not possible. I plan to have it out
next week after the concert.
Because of the cold season that is upon us we are using a considerable amount of cough drops.
I am not sure how to word this so I am just going to say it- Some children are coming in every
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day, several times a day, and taking several cough drops at a time. If they need them I have no
problem with it. I have even stopped some children and told them no more for the day. I don’t
want someone to get an upset stomach because they are consuming too many cough drops. I also
don’t want parents to get upset because they are getting to many cough drops. So I just want everyone to be aware and maybe have a talk with the kids about actually needing a cough drop or
just wanting one. I try to limit the amount to just 3 a day but I don’t always see how many they
take.
I will also be announcing the lunch menu for the following day at afternoon prayer so that the
children will hopefully remember to tell you if they do not want to take hot lunch the next day. I
hope this helps.
Finally, I would like to tell all of you how much I LOVE WORKING AT HOLY CROSS!!!
Your children- each and every one of them are such a delight and make me laugh every day. I
hope that I make a difference in each of their lives as they have made a difference in mine.
Kelly’s Korner was signed Ms. Kelly Boudwin because Mr. Stepanek didn’t want to make me
sound old! (I mean just look at me and you can tell I am NOT!) In turn I have been getting questions about it (and maybe a few offers that my husband said I should definitely consider). I don’t
want to break any hearts but I am a married woman! I will now be signing it as MRS. Kelly
Boudwin…
Mrs. Kelly Boudwin
On the Horizon
December 19-The first annual 4K Christmas Pageant will be performed in the gym at 1p.m.--with a cookie and juice social to follow---you won't want to miss this one! Please be sure to invite your family members!
You’ll also want to make room for the 5th grade play “A Charlie Brown Christmas” performed in our gym on December 20th.
Mark your calendars for the annual FAST sponsored tubing event which will be held on
Friday, January 4 at Winter Park in Kewaunee.
Weekly preschool story time will be held at the GRACE offices
at 1087 Kellogg Street from 10:00 to 11:00 on the following dates.
This is open to the public, free of charge, and is for children ages 2-5
and their parents.
December 12 - Santa & Reindeer
December 19 - Christmas & Jesus
December 26 - No Story Time
January 2 - No Story Time
January 9 - Mittens
January 16 - Snowmen & Snow
January 23 - Penguins
January 30 - Polar Animals
Please contact Mary McCabe at St. Thomas More School, 432-8242 with
any questions. We look forward to seeing you at Story Time!
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In this week’s folder you will find.
Letter from Hot Lunch program
Scrip if you ordered any
Pink slip if your Hot Lunch account is running low.
Please take a good look at the Hot Lunch letter. This service adds so much to our school and
having worked in a system without hot lunch I know how much it means to the community. The
lunch staff has worked very hard to tailor the program to meet our needs, please take a moment
to provide some input.
G Stepanek
Principal, Holy Cross
A GRACE Catholic School, 3002 Bay Settlement Road, Green Bay, WI 54311 (920) 468-0625
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