Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at an hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace.

St. Charles Borromeo

                               Christmas Caroling/Family Advent Celebration

                               Pizza Dinner:  5:00 - 5:45 p.m.

                               Neighborhood Caroling:  5:45 - 6:45 p.m.

                               Family Advent Celebration 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. 

Dec. 22 - Jan. 2        Christmas Vacation (NO SCHOOL)

Thurs., Jan. 3           Classes resume  

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School Safety

In light of the terrible tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, we would like to update our parents on our school safety procedures and our response to the children.

Response to Children: Preschool through Grade 6

We will not initiate discussion concerning the shooting with our students. If a child brings up the tragedy, the teacher will meet privately with the child and listen to his/her questions, acknowledge the terrible nature of what happened, and re-direct the child to discuss his/her questions and concerns with his/her parents. If appropriate, we will impress upon the child the safety measures that we have in place at school.

If a teacher hears private conversations between students, she will insert herself into the conversation. One child may be totally uninformed and another child may be giving inappropriate information. In that case, the teacher will meet with the child who initiated the conversation and proceed as above.

Response to Children: Middle School

We will proceed generally as above. If, however, the tragedy becomes a broad topic of conversation, or if we notice any notable concerns among the students, the Middle School staff will collaborate to determine the best response to the students' needs. As with any sensitive issue, we would fully communicate to parents - beforehand whenever possible - the nature of any dialogue at school about the tragedy.

Parents' Response to Children

This will vary with each unique parent-child relationship. Beech Acres Parenting Center has distributed some helpful guidelines, which are included at the bottom of this email. In addition, Beech Acres is sponsoring a free Parent Support Q & A Session:

School Safety Procedures: Summary for Parents

We have reviewed and tightened our safety procedures. A summary is below. Over Christmas vacation, we will install a surveillance camera at our office entrance, so that guests are both visible and audible when buzzing in. Please note that starting now, any parent visitor to the building must wear a visitor's badge (obtained in the office). Please also note that children are not permitted to open locked doors for anyone, including parents, staff, or other students. An adult staff member must admit people to the building.

Doors

1. All exterior doors will be locked during the school day, including during lunch/recess.
2. Children are not permitted to open entry doors to let people in (including parents, teachers or other children).
3. Lower entrance doors are locked at all times.

Visitors

1. Visitors must enter the school through the office entrance. Visitors will buzz in, identify themselves, be admitted by an office staff person, sign in the visitors' log, and obtain a visitor's badge.
   1. All visitors (including parents) must wear a visitor's badge when in the building.
   2. When picking up children early, parents should inform office staff, who will get the child(ren) from the classroom. Parents should not go directly to classrooms for early-pickup.

Lockdowns and Safety Procedures

1. GSCM has collaborated with local fire and law enforcement officials to develop an emergency action plan. This plan includes recommended safety procedures for a variety of situations, including: hostage/kidnapping; earthquake; lockdown; shelter in place; smoke, fire, or explosion; utility emergency; guns/weapons; tornado/severe weather; bomb threat; and evacuation procedures. It is posted in the school office and in each classroom, and is available for parent review at all times.
2. Lockdown drills will be held annually. Our next lockdown drill will be in early January. We will notify parents ahead of time so they can discuss this beforehand with their child.

Events This Week 

Secret Santa Exchange

Contributed by Sydney Olszewski, 8th Grade, Student Government President

The GSCM Student Government is sponsoring a Secret Santa exchange. Students are paired randomly with another student and asked to buy a gift for that student. The Secret Santa will last from Tuesday, December 18th to Thursday, December 20th. For the first two days of the activity, students are asked to write a small note to their Secret Santa with clues about who they are, and a small piece of candy. Food allergies will be indicated on name slips. On Thursday, the final day, students are asked to bring in a gift costing $5.00 or less, with a note revealing who they are.

The gifts will be distributed by the student government during the day, and so everyone will receive their gift by the end of the day. We thank you for your participation in this event. Secret Santa has always been a fun thing for GSCM to do, and we are excited to continue the holiday tradition!

Fri., December 21: Christmas Caroling followed by Family Advent Celebration

5:00        Pizza dinner (includes pizza, veggie tray, drinks and dessert)

The cost for pizza dinner is $5.00/adult and $3.00/child.  

For pizza dinner reservations, PLEASE RSVP TO NANCY TOON: 271-4171 or ntoon@gscmontessori.org 

5:45        Caroling in the neighborhood

7:00        Family Advent Celebration

Come enjoy a traditional evening of neighborhood caroling for you and your children! We will gather in the elementary atrium at 5:45, and then take our joy into the neighborhood as we sing carols to our neighbors. Then, we will complete our evening with our Family Advent Celebration in the church, expressing the joy of the anticipation of Christ's coming. The children will lead our celebration in the church with a play, portraying Jesus' birth, including audience participation of familiar Christmas hymns. Come for the Family Celebration, or come for the entire evening!

 

The Advent Play practice will be Thursday after school from 3 til 4:30 in the church.  All students with speaking roles need to be present for the practice.  Students with non-speaking roles have the option to attend if they wish, or they can simply join in the play Friday night.

Volunteers are needed Thursday at 2:35 in the church to set up for the play.  We will be moving altar rails, setting the stage, and getting the church ready for the practice/performance.  If you can help with this, please arrive at the church at 2:35.  (Note, the last music class ends at 2:30 so please do not enter the church before 2:30. Thank you.)

Friday, December 21: Christmas Clothing Day

All students are invited to wear out-of-uniform Christmas clothing this Friday (our last day of school before Christmas break). However, there is a "cost":

1. Please send in $1.00. This will go towards our purchase of a new Marian statue to overlook our school from the hillside.
2. Any student who comes to school in Christmas clothing should be prepared to recite all or part (even just a small part!) of the gifts from the "Twelve Days of Christmas," either in song or simply recited. So here is a good excuse to start singing a fanciful Christmas song together!

12 Drummers Drumming
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Thank You, Parents and PTO!

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your generous gestures of appreciation that you have extended to us recently! The lunches that you provided during conferences were just right, and our Christmas tea last week was a delightful treat.

We appreciate your kindness and generosity! We extend a special thanks to the PTO Staff Appreciation Committee.

Sincerely,

The Staff of The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori

End of the Year or Just the Beginning

Thanks for our Blessings

During this time of year, the Church gives us Advent - 4 weeks to prepare ourselves for the great celebration of the Incarnation when God became man. It is also a time when we reflect on what's truly important and on the people who are instrumental in our lives.

At GSCM, there are so many things we are thankful for: the children, their families, our staff, our benefactors and volunteers, the tranquil setting of the school and our purchase of this property.

In this morning's Mass, Father Dave asked the children what they were thankful for. Hands shot up all over church. Little ones and older students wanted to mention their thanks for parents, for food, for teachers, for pets, for love, for forgiveness, for Jesus and for Parousia.

• The PTO led by Lisa Schmitz and all the volunteers who do the little extras that make this school so vibrant
•  Alicia Wilhelmy, who along with her husband, Christian, is chairing our Gala
• Christian Wilhelmy who designed our Fall Newsletter, Annual Fund Mailing and our Christmas Card,  
• Parent and photographer Leigh Taylor who for our Christmas Card successfully photographed 200 children and assorted staff members on a slippery hillside on a chilly morning
• Steve Hogan and the Knights of Columbus who provided the Moeller KOC Hall for the Fall Jamboree
• Mike Schmitt, Mary Anne Tankersley, Rachel Sabo and their helpers who gave us a successful Walkathon and our Walkathon sponsors, especially our Premiere Sponsor Professional Payroll Services
• Amie Bressert and her committee for an enjoyable Grandparents Day,  
• All the Priests who celebrate Holy Mass for us and hear our Confessions  
• Larry Kahles the sacristan who guides our altar servers and prepares the church for Mass,  
• Our musicians and parents and SJV parishioners who join us for weekly Mass
• Lauri Paniccia who prepared much of our landscaping,  
• The parents who drive on field trips, help with feasts, and shop for supplies.

The efforts of all of these people and the many more not mentioned here contribute to make this school the special place that it is. We appreciate you all. Thank you.

Advent Offerings

The Advent Wreath

Here are the lyrics for our Advent Wreath song for the third and fourth weeks of Advent. Enjoy lighting the wreath with your children at home each night and singing this lovely song!

Light the Advent candle three

Wonder who this child can be,

Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace,

Mighty God, Emmanuel.

(Refrain)

Candle, candle burning bright

Shining in the cold winter night

Candle, candle burning bright

Fill our hearts with Christ, the Light.

Light the Advent candle four

Think of joy forevermore

Christ Child in a stable born,

Gift of love in Bethlehem. (refrain)

Mary - "Blessed is she who believed"

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, pp. 148-149

The Virgin Mary most perfectly embodies the obedience of faith.

By faith Mary welcomes the tidings and promise brought by the angel Gabriel, believing that "with God nothing will be impossible" and so giving her assent: "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be [done] to me according to your word." Elizabeth greeted her: "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." It is for this faith that all generations have called Mary blessed.

Throughout her life and until her last ordeal when Jesus her son died on the cross, Mary's faith never wavered. She never ceased to believe in the fulfillment of God's word. And so the Church venerates in Mary the purest realization of faith. 

We are having a problem with late pick-ups for children. Please be prompt in picking up your child at 11:30 and 3:00. This is a courtesy for the teacher, the office staff, and your child. Our school handbook stipulates late pick-up fees for repeat occurrences. The office will send home a note before this goes into effect for a particular family. Thank you for your cooperation.

GSCM Directory Correction

Please correct Meredith Grimes (Rian Cardenas' mom) email in your directory. Her new email address is grimesm954@gmail.com