St. Ann Model School - Grades 1-8

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1 St. Ann Model School - Grades 1-8 December, 2015 Volume 4, Issue 4 Dear Parishioners of St. Ann, The popularity of many movies in our archives, including and especially Star Wars is based on the cosmic and personal fight between the forces of good and evil. We leave the cinema with a feeling of well-being and victory because, no matter what the odds, good always triumphs over evil. This is the story of our God who after creating, allowing for free will to choose and seeing that often the choices are against Him (the Source of all goodness), He chooses not to destroy his work but rather desires to save it. He sends into His creation prophets, saints, and ultimately his Son to shepherd the world back to the Eternal Mystery. This is our story because each of us has been blessed and given the privilege to be part of the fight between good and evil. Jesus, born in history; Christ, ever in our midst gives us all the guidance we need to be a force of Goodness in the world. But we know, it is always our choice! Some time ago I saw two little children: one had a tee shirt that read: Pure Love and the other, Here comes trouble. What is written on your tee shirt? More importantly, what is sealed in the depths of your Heart? Blessings for a wonderful Christmas and 2016, Fr. Herman Gomes, ss.cc. St. Ann Church, Pastor 15 7p Advent Penance Service 17 9a Christmas Program 12:30p School Dismissal 4p Extended Day Ends 6:30p Christmas Program 18 8:15a Christmas Prayer Service 11a SCH/ELC Dismissal No Lunch Service No Extended Day Service 21 CHRISTMAS BREAK BEGINS Offices Open 24 CHRISTMAS EVE Offices Open Masses are at 7:00pm; 9:30pm and 12 Midnight 25 CHRISTMAS Offices Closed Masses are at 8:45am and 11:30am 31 NEW YEAR S EVE Offices Open 1 NEW YEAR S DAY Offices Closed Mass at 8am 4 School Resumes School Science Fair 13 12:3p SCH Dismissal 14 Grade 5 Retreat 15 2nd Quarter Ends

2 With Grateful Hearts On Tuesday, November 24, 2015, the students of St. Ann Model Schools geared up to celebrate Thanksgiving. School and Early Center classes partnered with each other to reflect on what they are most thankful for. Older students worked with younger students to complete a Thanksgiving activity making keychains. They then gathered in our Food Court that was decked out in a festive autumn theme for a delicious Thanksgiving Luncheon. The students were especially thankful to have Fr. Herman Gomes, Fr. Ed Popish and Fr. Antony Dass as their special guests. The next morning the entire St. Ann community celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass, ministered by the fifth grade class. Mass began with a procession that included students bearing baskets of can goods to be donated to our parish s Project Share. We were fortunate to have Hawaii Catholic Schools superintendent, Dr. Mike Rockers and Marketing Director Deborah Manog attend Mass with the students. Find Us on Social Media! Did you know that St. Ann Model Church and Model Schools is on Social Media? So...Tweet, Follow us and Tag us! It s a great way for everyone to get a peek into the daily happenings of the church and schools. Here s where to find us: Twitter: TUMBLR: Facebook: Instagram: Wordpress Blog: Use #saintannhawaii, #stannhawaii, #saintannmodelschools, #saintannchurch, #saintannchurchandmodelschools Page 2

3 The Advent Season Beginning the Church s liturgical year, Advent (from ad-venire in Latin or to come to ) is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas. The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord s birth on Christmas. The final days of Advent, from December 17 to December 24, focus particularly on our preparation for the celebrations of the Nativity of our Lord. Advent devotions, including the Advent wreath, remind us of the meaning of the season. Advent calendars and the Jesse Tree can help families fully enter into the season with daily activity and prayer suggestions to prepare spiritually for the birth of Jesus Christ. On November 30th, upon our return to school, the students participated in an Advent Prayer service ministered by the fourth graders. At the prayer service, we blessed the Advent wreath that the students will use each Monday at our morning assembly. We lit the first candle and reflected on things we could do to make this Advent more meaningful for us. The first candle of the Advent Wreath is lit Traditionally, Advent wreaths are constructed of a circle of evergreen branches into which four candles are inserted, representing the four weeks of Advent. Ideally, three candles are purple and one pink, but white candles can also be used. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance and preparatory sacrifices and good works undertaken at this time. The pink candle is lit on the third Sunday called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation in now half over and they are close to Christmas. Brynn Castello and Taylor Tagal lead the school in song at the Advent Prayer Service The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord s first coming into the world and the anticipation of his second coming to judge the living and the dead. Families can find weekly prayers to say around the Advent wreath online at usccb.org. The 4th graders were excellent ministers of our Advent Prayer service Page 3

4 BRAVO! St. Ann Model School s Choir performed at their first public appearance on December 5th at St. Ann s Christmas Festival. They did a fantastic job impressing the audience with their singing and dancing. Spectators whopped and hollered to Santa Claus Rock and It s A Christmas Thing. They were moved by the choir s rendition of Kau Mai Ke Aloha and A Song of Peace and both young and old clapped and sang along to This Little Light of Mine. Everyone Loves a Parade! On Saturday, December 5th, St. Ann Model Schools participated in the Kaneohe Christmas Parade along with students from the Religious Education and Youth Ministry programs. Thirty-six school students and parents walked the two-mile parade route while singing and dancing to our Christmas Program finale number, He is the Light. The marching unit followed the St. Ann s Float depicting the Nativity and telling the story of St. Ann Church and Model Schools in the Heeia area. Congratulations to our young choir predominantly made up of third and fourth graders performing for the first time! We look forward to their next performance during Catholic Schools Week at Windward Mall. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 2nd! Page 4

5 Keiki Kalikimaka Students in grades Kindergarten to Grade 6 designed ornaments for the Hawaii s Star Advertiser s Keiki Kalikimaka contest. Sixth grader, Brandon Nakaoka s entry was chosen as one of the twenty-seven finalists the newspaper will feature in its Christmas Eve edition. Brandon s ornament was featured on the front page of the Saturday paper (12/5/15). The Star Advertiser will continue to feature a finalist each day until December 23rd. On Christmas Eve, they will reprint all the ornaments from the 27 finalists and randomly select winners. Good luck to Brandon and don t forget to check the newspaper daily for other potential finalists! Keep Calm and Clip On We are pleased to report that while tallying the November Box Tops, Mrs. Dara Watanabe, our Box Top Coordinator had enough to send another package. The package contained enough box tops to add another $ to St. Ann Model Schools credit. The student who collected the most box tops in November was Dallas Repollo of the 7A. He brought in 216 box tops! The class who collected the most box tops was Miss Mishell s 5A class with a total of 243! Congratulations! As a reminder, Mrs. Watanabe asks that we watch the expiration dates on the box tops. She also asks that box tops be adhered to the collect sheets. These small tasks will make submitting much easier and is greatly appreciated. The collections sheets can be found under your File Library on Option C. Once again, great job and thank you for your support! Order Your CSW T-shirts Today! As a reminder, Catholic School Week t- shirt orders are due by Friday, December 11th. This is the first time in a number of years that our families have the opportunity to purchase Catholic Schools Week T-shirts for students and family members. Students will be given numerous opportunities to wear the CSW t-shirt during the school year. The due date is firm as we need to place our order in a timely manner if we wish to receive it in time for Catholic Schools Week. If you have not done so already, please order your t-shirts as the deadline to order cannot be extended. The shirts are maroon with white printing. Page 5

6 proudly presents Discover the true meaning of Christmas through the eyes of Leon, a young boy who discovers his name spelled backwards is Noel. at Admittance by ticket only. Please contact the school office at , ext. 102 for more information Tickets were sent home with students via the Thursday envelopes