Dear St. Thomas Families,   

Our Global Education Initiative is moving forward! The delegation of nine students and a chaperone from Ecuador will arrive on Saturday, March 14, and leave on Saturday, March 28, 2015. In the two weeks that they are with us, we will have many exciting opportunities to learn about each other's customs and cultures. Our initial parent meeting to go over specifics about the hosting will occur next Monday, December 15 at 7:30pm. Many thanks to the families who have agreed to open their homes to the visiting students for this exciting new chapter for the school.

Our 5th grade H.O.W.M.S. service project is coming to a close this Friday, December 12. The student's project has been focused on raising awareness about the plight of widows and orphans in Malawi, Africa. The 5th grade students have been actively raising $800 in funds to build a house. The students are only 27 bricks ($108) away from completing their "home". If you would like to buy a paper brick, or make a direct donation, please send your cash or check (made out to St. Thomas School) to the school office. Paper bricks are $4 each. For more information, contact Mrs. Arnett at karne@sttschool.org 

Below is a list of the remaining school activities and important days prior to Christmas break:

• Monday, 12/15 - Advent Prayer Service. This is our third and final Advent prayer service. It will be held in the cafeteria beginning at 8:00am. For this prayer service, the second grade will perform a re-enactment of Jesus' birthday.
• Monday, 12/15 - Comfort and Joy Pajama Day.   The 4th grade is sponsoring two families from the Parish Jesse Tree. Students are asked to bring in $1 to wear their PJs this day. Pj's must be school appropriate, shorts must be worn under nightgowns and robes are also encouraged. All money collected will go towards purchasing personal care items for the two families.
• Wednesday, 12/17 - Early dismissal. This is a "free" out of uniform day for students. There is no need to send in a dollar. This is a thank you for all the fundraising the students have done throughout the month of December. This is also an early dismissal day and we ask that you please be prompt in picking up your children.
• Friday, 12/19 - All school Mass, first & second grade Christmas Play and Early dismissal. We will celebrate as a school at the 8:15 Mass - what a wonderful way as a school community to thank God for our abundant blessings! Later that morning, our first and second graders will present their annual Christmas play at 10:00am in the school gym. The name of this year's play is the "The Cobweb Curtain". This is a story about a spider who spins a web over the entrance of the cave saving Jesus, Mary, and Joseph from Herod's men.. All are welcome to attend. Please note that it is also an early dismissal with the school day ending at 1:50pm. School will resume after the holiday break on Monday, January 5.

Have a blessed week.

Barry Thomas

Principal