Letter from Mr. Hamilton I can t wait! is what many children are saying these days. One student said he is hoping to get a remote controlled boat for Christmas, but it s so hard to wait that long. One girl would like an Easy-Bake oven, yet she wishes she could have it now. Another boy told me he ate the candy from his advent calendar days before he was supposed to open the flap In fact, I know of an adult who did the same thing when she was a little girl. In a fast-paced world where just about everything is readily available to us through media, transportation, and technology, we find that we have no other option except to just wait for Jesus big day. So we need to encourage the children to rejoice in this time of anticipation and embrace the joy as they wait for the big day. Help them practice patience this merry Christmas season. Remind them that the pink candle on the Advent wreath calls us to be JOYFUL this Advent season with the joy that comes from our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The third Sunday in Advent is often referred to as GAUDETE Sunday, which is the Latin word meaning Rejoice! - Rejoice in the Lord always! And again I say - Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May your days be filled with joy and lasting memories, keeping peace in your hearts always. Steve Hamilton
What's Happening: St. Gabriel School Gazette "FROG" (Fully Rely On God) December 21, 2017 12/22 Dismissal at 11:00 a.m. - Christmas Break Begins! 1/3 Classes Resume 1/16 End of 2nd Quarter 1/19 HSA - Parent Luau Night 1/26 Early Release - Dismissal at 11:00 a.m. 1/28 Catholic Schools Week Begins Open House and Pancake Breakfast 3/10 "A Night At The Game Shows" Dinner Auction St. Gabriel School Mission Statement St. Gabriel Catholic Parish School is committed to cultivating a responsible and respectful Catholic identity in the name of Jesus. Our faith journey includes strong academics, discipleship of Christ in our communities and a growing relationship with God advanced through the sacraments. We seek to build a parish community which has "many parts one body" rooted in the values of the Gospel. Christmas Mass Schedule: Please plan to join us for Mass at St. Gabriel Church. The schedule is: Sunday, December 24 at 9:00 a.m. (Fourth Sunday of Advent) Sunday, December 24 at 4:30 p.m. (Christmas Mass of Anticipation) Sunday, December 24 at 10:30 p.m. (music 30 minutes prior) Monday, December 25 at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Christmas Day Mass) Monday, January 1 at 10:00 a.m. (Feast of Mary Mother of God) Pajama Drive: Thank you to everyone who donated pajamas for our recent pajama drive. We are happy to announce that we collected 122 pairs! Kids Sing For Christmas: Our students in Grades 2 and older are invited to sing at the 4:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. If your child is interested, they are asked to attend
at least two practices. The practices are 30 minutes each and will be held on: - Tuesday, December 19 at 4:00 p.m. - Wednesday, December 20 at 4:00 p.m. - Thursday, December 21 at 4:00 p.m. - Saturday, December 23 at 1:00 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Senski at St. Gabriel Church (628-1141). Show Your School Spirit: Remember to show your school spirit by either putting a window cling or sticker in your vehicle. Two sayings are available: "Ask us about St. Gabriel's" or "We love our St. Gabriel family" These are free to you and an easy way to show your support. Please specify which one you would like. Please contact Savanna Ferr at savyall17@outlook.com to order yours today! MARC: Congratulations to joint winners: Katie Zellner and Sarah Zomboracz! They won this month's MARC Contest $100 $crip Gift Card. Thank you for sharing your St. Gabriel stories with potential families - it's greatly appreciated! Stay tuned in January. There will be more ways to win a $100 $crip Gift Card with our Open House invite. In the meantime, please SHARE, COMMENT and LIKE our Facebook posts. Thank you! School Closings: Tune into TMJ4, WISN 12 and the St. Gabriel web page to check for cancellations. Dinner Auction Meetings: Want to win two Dinner Auction tickets? Every meeting you attend will earn a chance to win two free 2018 Dinner Auction tickets! Our annual Auction is Saturday, March 10 at The Chandelier Ballroom in Hartford. The drawing will be held at the January 17 meeting. Meeting dates are: January 17 February 21 The meetings are held in the School Library and begin at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. HSA Meetings: Please be sure to mark your calendars for our monthly HSA meetings. The meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the School Library. Everyone is welcome to attend. Water Bottles For Sale: We have two different water bottles that we are selling in the School Office. The cost is $2 each.