Jesus, as we wait for your coming, help us not to be afraid and to trust in you.
As we light this candle, we remember that you bring the light of hope into our lives.  May your Word be always in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts.  Amen.

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

MR. RIDDER’S REMINDERS

Dec 4                Feast of St. Nicholas Celebration 10:30-3:00
Dec 5 – 8          Parish Mission – 7:00pm - Come Join Us!
Dec 8                2:00 Dismissal
Dec 9                Uganda Dress Down Day
Dec 13              3^rd Grade 6:00 & 4^th  Grade 6:45 Christmas Cantata
Dec 14              June & December Birthdays Only Dress Down Day
                          STUCO Canned Food & Book Drives End
Dec 15              1^st Grade 6:00 & 2^nd Grade 6:45 Christmas Music Program
Dec 19              Kindergarten Christmas Program 6:30
Dec 19 & 20      Pre-S/Pre-K Christmas Program 9:30 & 1:30
Dec 20              K-8^th Christmas Parties 2:15-3:00
Dec 21-Jan 3   Christmas Break – No School

DID YOU KNOW… that we collected approximately $850 with last week’s $1.00 dress down day? The proceeds will go toward the hot lunch program at St. Mary’s, our sister school in Uganda.  We are very close to reaching our goal for the year to feed each student hot lunch for a year.  There are well over 1300 students at St. Mary’s.  Since 2008, their principal has seen an increase in attendance since we began helping them to provide lunch. Many of these children would go without and be unable to concentrate or remain in the classroom for the school day. If you want to learn more about what St. Patrick’s involvement with St. Mary’s made possible, click the link below to watch a video made this last year explaining our sister school program.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SISTER SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM

ST. PATRICK'S STUDENTS WORK ON STEWARDSHIP DRIVES - The student council (STUCO) is running two drives for huge causes with huge expectations for St Patrick's students. Once again, we are caring for the hungry and homeless in our community. Both of the drives listed below are going until December 14th. Remember, we are not asking for you to go out and buy items but rather donate them if you have extra in your possession. Let us all think about those that are less fortunate than ourselves at this time of year when we have so much to share.

Canned Food Drive - One Drive that we are working on is the canned food drive. This drive’s purpose is to help the people starving in our community. So far, our school has 252 canned food items, and we are hoping for 3000. We are collecting cans and the students vote on the person with the best beard by placing the cans below that person’s picture in the front entry of the school. We are calling this “Santa vs. the Elves”. Who has the best beard ~ Mr. Billings, Mr. Maline, Mr. Van Anne, Mr. Ridder, Mr. Slater, Mr. Shanle or Mr. Walsh? All the donated food will go to the Western Douglas County Food Bank which serves the Elkhorn area. Especially needed are fruits, veggies & boxed dinners.  Please no glass jars.

Book Drive - The other stewardship drive that we are doing is the book drive. This drive is for the juvenile delinquents of Douglas County. Recent studies have proven that there is a significant relationship between literacy and delinquency. That is why STUCO has chosen to have books donated to this cause. We are accepting new or gently used books 5th to the 12th grade reading level. We also appreciate multi-cultural and multi-lingual books and books for toddlers for their teenage parents to read to them.

SUPER JOB WITH MORNING TRAFFIC - I would like to thank all of the parentsfor making the morning drop off so successful. Your cooperation by having the kids ready when you stop your car is wonderful. Your focus on safety for the kids all seems to be a priority. We encourage you to refrain from using your cell phones as you drive through the parking lot and proceed with caution so that we may avoid accidents especially involving children. I also want to show my appreciation to all the sixth grade students, their teachers and parents for their consistent service on the safety patrol. Lastly, if you want to take part in this gratifying opportunity to protecting our kids, please contact Mrs. Kretz at mkretz@stpatselkhorn.org.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE UPCOMING CHRISTMAS MUSIC PROGRAMS – The 3rd and 4th Grade performance is scheduled for Tuesday, December 13th.  Third grade will perform at 6:00 with fourth grade following at 6:45. The 1st and 2nd Grade performance is planned for Thursday, December 15th.  The first grade will begin at 6:00 with the second grade following at 6:45.   Lastly, the kindergarteners are preparing for their music program on Monday, December 19th at 6:30pm. Please have your child in their classroom 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the program.  Attire for the Christmas program for your students in nice, church clothes!

WELLNESS COMMITTEE HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK: For the next couple of weeks, the health tips will come from an article in the IDEA Fitness Journal entitled "'Tis the Season for Holiday Eating Strategies." Here are some tips for watching what you eat during the holiday season: 1) Control portion sizes and select foods from a variety of food groups; 2) Drink a large glass of water just before a big holiday dinner; and 3) If you are hosting, serve a soup course first. It will satisfy you and help you eat less.

PARISH MISSION - I Could Have Done More
This Advent we as a parish, will have the opportunity to go on a mini retreat.  We will have a Parish Mission December 5^th through the 8^th.  Our mission will be lead by Father Robert Gielow, CM.  Fr. Gielow is a nationally known and beloved preacher who has dedicated his priesthood to directing retreats and leading parish missions across the country.  The theme of our mission will be: I Could Have Done More.

What is a Mission?
It is a time of special grace when God calls us into deeper relationship with Him, a time for personal growth, a time to listen to God, a time of spiritual refreshment and invigoration.

Who is a Mission For?
The Mission is for all people.  It is for all ages and for any stage of life: married, single, divorced, separated, widowed, everybody.  We particularly invite those who want to know more about the church today and how it can take an active role in the everyday experiences of work, leisure, family and politics.

What Form will the Mission Take?
Each evening (Monday the 5^th through Thursday the 8^th) there will be a special parish mass and homily designed to increase our spirituality.  Each mass will begin at 7:00.  A social will follow to enhance our feeling of parish community.  Fr. Gielow will be available for informal chats and questions and answers.  So that everybody may attend ALL OTHER PARISH FUNCATIONS WILL BE CANCELLED!

We hope everyone will be able join in the Mission. Even if you can only attend one or a few of the evenings, it will be well worth your time. Everybody is welcome, but we will provide day care for the very young. (preschool and under.) If you would like to take advantage of the day care we ask that you pre-register with Mary McMahon at (402)289-4289ext-1505or mmcmahon@stpatselkhorn.org.

CALLING ALL BABYSITTERS FOR MISSION - To accommodate the children who will need daycare during the Mission, we will need both adult, junior high and high school volunteers. If you are willing to share your time assisting in the daycare room on one or more evenings the week of our parish mission, please contact Mary McMahon at (402)289-4947ext.1505 or email mmcmahon@stpatselkhorn.org.

THE FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS – St. Patrick’s Parish will celebrate The Feast of St. Nicholas, Sunday, December 4, 2011.  Children’s activities begin at 10:30 and lunch will be served 11:00-3:00.  Join us for a delicious pasta lunch, learn about St. Nicholas – the spiritual leader of our modern Santa—and participate in festive arts & crafts activities.  Tickets will be sold at the door.  $10 for adults, children 4-10 are $6, family passes are available for $35.  If you have any questions or to volunteer at the event, please contact:  Melissa Gathje: 402-964-9709, stnickatstpats@yahoo.com or Chuck & Deb Olson:  402-778-9983, dolson7821@hotmail.com.

ELF HOLIDAY COLLECTION - It's almost here!  The deadline for our Annual H&S' ELF Fund is Dec. 7th!To be on the ELF gift tag as a participating family, be sure to have your contribution in the school office by next Thursday, December 7th. The H&S Elves are hurrying to get all the gifts prepped for delivery! Thanks to all participating families who helped us continue this tradition of gift giving to our very deserving staff! Merry Christmas!! -Michele & Jenn.

SPECIAL’S WISH LISTS – Our special’s teachers (art, music, computers, PE, Spanish and library) still have a few items on their wish list that would enhance your students’ learning experience.  Please stop by the display board by the welcome desk and grab a card and get set to go shopping!  Purchased items may be brought in to the school office or sent to school with your child.  Prices vary on items as low as $5.00 to more expensive.  Thanks again for the support or our teachers and enhancing the learning experience for your children!

ST. PATRICK’S ELKHORN CHESS TOURNAMENT – St. Patrick’s is hosting a chess tournament on Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 9:00 am- 1:00 pm.  Please see the attached flyer for more information!

LINK TO CHESS CLUB TOURNAMENT

HEY ST. PATRICK'S FRIENDS - LET’S GO FOR #1! Donate your Hy-Vee Smart points to St. Patrick's. St. Pat's, as of today, is in 2nd place with other area schools on our heels! Here is how it works:  For every $20 of Procter & Gamble products you purchase at Hy-Vee from October 1, 2011– December 30, 2011 you earn 100 SMART Points to donate to the school of your choice. Get 100 additional points when you purchase two (2) or more Sara Lee Fresh Bakery products in the same transaction as your qualifying $20 Procter & Gamble purchase. Find the promotional code printed on your receipt of purchase, and enter it by clicking on the "Donate Points" button. From there, select the school for which you would like to make a donation. More than 200 schools with the most points will win! Win a $1500 SMART Board™ for your child's school. Just go to: www.hy-veesmartpoints.com to donate your points today!  We have added to the link to the school website!

BOXTOPS = FREE MONEY FOR OUR SCHOOL! This year our goal is $5300.00To achieve this goal, we will be holding various promotions throughout the school year. Our first, Batty for Box tops, brought in approximately 9000 box tops which equals $900.00. THANK YOU! During all promotions throughout the year, students who turn in box tops will have their name entered into a drawing for a $10 script gift card. Congratulations to Leah Vanderheiden on winning the first promotion. Again, thank you and keep clipping and saving. Any questions, please contact Becky Reger or MelissaGathje.

MICRO SOCCER REGISTRATION OPEN– Registration for micro soccer is now open.  Registration begins now and will run until February 11^th and then late registration goes from February 12^th to March 3^rd.  Registrations will not be accepted after March 3^rd.  Please visit the athletic website for more information on registering!

SPIRIT - The SPIRIT Raffle Committee is looking for eager volunteers to help distribute and sell raffle tickets after all masses. Sign up will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. This year tickets sold after masses will be applied toward your family total! This is a great opportunity to be involved and reach your sales goal! For more information, please contact Kelly Barkmeier at 402-213-7851or barkmeier@gmail.com.

RAFFLE UPDATE- Looking for a unique gift for that hard-to-buy-for loved one? How about giving the chance to win $10,000! St. Pat’s SPIRITRaffletickets support a great cause and could be the Christmas gift of a lifetime! Plus, every family that sells their issued tickets by December 7^th will be entered into a drawing to win a great gift certificate! For more information visit: https://stpatrickselkhorn.ejoinme.org/raffle.

Principal's Notes Deadline:

Please submit all items/information in final form.

Principal's Notes deadline is Tuesday by 8:00am to the school or email to

ridderd@stpatselkhorn.org or kmoritz@stpatselkhorn.org

Archived Principal's Notes