Dear St. Thomas Families,   

The Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching. Our lives will likely take on a frenetic pace over the next weeks as we prepare to welcome family and guests.   During this mad dash, and with the Christmas season not far behind, we can easily lose sight of the real meaning of the holiday.

When I was in my teens, I became aware that the father of my closest friend always appeared to be talking to himself. When he would get out of his chair, climb the stairs, or even open a can, he would mumble quietly to himself. Initially I just wrote it off to being an eccentric "old man". One day I gathered the courage to ask my friend why his father always talked to himself. My friend looked at me with a proud expression and said that his Dad was praying. He shared that his Dad had faced a lot of adversity in his life and that he gave thanks to God each day for the all the blessings he had been given. For him, even getting out of a chair was reason to thank God- for the gift of the chair, for the health to stand, and for life itself.

What a beautiful way to approach life and build a relationship with God. For me, it was truly a lesson in giving thanks for the seemingly insignificant things we tend to take for granted.

As we break bread this Thanksgiving with family and friends, let us all remember to stop and give thanks & praise to God for all the bountiful blessings he has bestowed upon us.

The comfort of a warm home for the holidays is something we often take for granted. For many women and children in Malawi, a home is only a dream. St. Thomas students are working with the Eckerle family to help make this dream a reality by building homes for widows and orphans in Malawi, Africa, through the H.O.W.M.S organization. To build a home it cost $800.00.  This buys building equipment and the labor to build a home.  The St. Thomas 5th grade is working hard to raise the money. The students are selling paper bricks for $4.00 to help "build" a home.  For more information about the H.O.W.M.S organization you can visit their website howms.org

You may have heard through he grapevine that Mrs. Casebolt will be leaving St. Thomas School. She has accepted a job at Bellevue Animal Hospital, and is pursuing a degree as a veterinary technician. Mrs. Casebolt is such a part of the fabric of the school, we will all surely miss her. We wish her all the best as she begins this new chapter in her life. Please see her letter to school families in the newsletter below.

Have a blessed week.

Barry Thomas

Principal