ST. PAUL S LUTHERAN SCHOOL 153 19 TH AVE. MOLINE, IL 309-762-4494 UPCOMING EVENTS 12/1 Tuition Due 12/1 Field Trip Pre-8 Cinderella @ St. Ambrose $3 leave at 9:10am 12/5 Mission Service 8:30am / School Board Meeting 6:30pm 12/6 Advent Services 6 th, 13 th, & 20th 6:30pm (see calendar) 12/8 Hot Lunch (Over 50s Dinner) ($3) 12pm 12/8 Book Orders Due 12/13 Mission Service 8:30am / Pizza Day ($1 per slice) 12/16 Christmas Practice & all School Clean 10-11am / Caroling 11:00-1:00 12/17 Children s Christmas Service 4pm (meet in rooms at 3:40pm) 12/19 Book Report Your Choice 12/19 Westwood Terrace Christmas Program Gr. 1-8 1:30pm 12/20 Classroom Christmas Parties & Dismissed at 11:30 (No after care) 12/24 Christmas Eve Service 6:30pm 12/25 Christmas Day Service 9am 1/3 Classes Resume 3/9-3/10 Basketball Tournament @ LPS ****** WATCH FOR SCHOOL WISH LIST ******* Dec. Cleaners: Hatter SINCERE THANKS: My wife and I write this to extend our heartfelt thanks in the kindnesses extended to us during my recent illness and hospital stays. We felt your love for us expressed in your concerns and many offers of help. So many offered assistance in covering our classrooms and childcare hours as subs, in making and sending cards and meals, and in your earnest prayers for us. We felt Christ s love reflected in your loving gestures extended to us. Our God is an awesome God! He was and is with us all everyday. We felt His presence. Our hearts are grateful for all of you. We praise and thank our God for His loving care and for His gift of friends! HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS EACH & EVERY DAY. I heard this song on the radio the other day and it made me think about Christmas. What really makes Christmas merry for us each and every day? Is it the presents, decorations
and trimmed tree, family get-togethers, snow, or the Christmas parties. These surely are fun, bring joy, & may make us merry for a day a moment I know not a lifetime. The only way to make this and every Christmas truly merry is to make JESUS-THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. Think about that, about what Christmas really is the celebration of our Savior s birth. The Christ Child came to this earth for us, to free us from our sins. He lives with us & takes care of us every minute of every day. He promises that we will live with Him in perfect happiness in heaven. These Christmas gifts can be the only source of real joy and happiness for us. If we have Jesus, all else is secondary. Nothing can take away the lasting joy that only He can give at Christmas. The faculty of St. Paul s School wishes you & yours a MERRY CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS PARTY The Preschoolers will have their Christmas parties on 12/19 and 12/20. The children in K-8 will have their Christmas party on Dec. 20 th. We will have a gift exchange (grades 4-8 about $3.00 - $5.00 grades 1-3 about $0-$5.00). The upper & lower grades will exchange names with a classmate. If you have any questions please speak to your child s teacher. CHRISTMAS SERVICE PRACTICE Practice is set for Dec. 16 th from 10:00-11:00am. It is very important that everyone be present for this practice. Both the school & Sunday School children work together very hard to prepare for this sacred service. They need to be present to speak, sing, & practice walking in & out with each other. We have had great attendance in the past. ALL SCHOOL CLEAN-UP We are asking parent volunteers to help give the school a thorough cleaning on Saturday, Dec. 16 th from 10-11am. While the children are practicing for the Christmas Service a group of parents are invited to clean over at school. More hands make the job go faster. If you are willing to help please let your teacher know or just show up when you drop off your child for Christmas practice. Thank You. CHRISTMAS CAROLING: Our church & school are going out caroling on Saturday, 12/16 at 11am. School children, parents, & congregation members are all invited to attend. We will meet at church at 11am immediately after the Christmas practice. We will carol at shut-ins & member s homes for about 1 ½ - 2 hours. Don your scarves & mittens & come join in the fun. This is truly a great experience & a wonderful service to our elderly. CHILDREN S CHRISTMAS SERVICE The date is Dec. 17 th at 4:00pm. We would like all students to meet in preschool & lower rooms no later than 3:40 pm. All children of St. Paul s Lutheran School & Sunday School (Preschool-8) are invited to participate in this special service of praise for our newborn King. If participation is impossible, let your teacher know.
SNOW If school is cancelled because of snow - please watch the major TV stations. Most will carry the announcement. If you do not see our name up we always cancel if either Moline OR Rock Island public schools cancel. Also, check our Facebook page or possibly your cell phone for a message. Parents, if it starts to snow during school (or any other safety issue) & you want to pick up your child early we understand. Please call & let your teacher know. Thank you. BOX TOPS Don t forget to save General Mills Box Tops for Education for valuable items for school. Playground equipment, history films, & science equipment have been obtained in the past using money earned. Thank you. IT S COLD & FLU SEASON PLEASE MAKE SURE CHILDREN ARE GETTING THE REST THEY NEED! BASKETBALL PRACTICE (Gr. 4-8): Note: our first practice is on Jan. 5 th. Practices will be on Fridays during Jan. & Feb. Practices are at Blackhawk Center, East Moline right after school until about 4:30. You may pick up children at Blackhawk at 4:30 or at St. Paul s at 4:50. Please be on time. If you re late your child may be picked up at Pagel s home. RETIREMENT CENTER: We once again have the opportunity to sing and recite our Christmas Service for the people at the Westwood Terrace Retirement Center (across the street from school). This is a wonderful chance to witness to all about our Savior s birth. Grades 1-8 will do this on Dec. 19th (1:30pm). The residents at the center love to hear the children and in fact are already asking about when we are coming. OVER 50 S DINNER: On Friday, December 8, we will again hold our Dinner for those members over 50 years of age of St. Paul s Lutheran Church & Gethsemane Lutheran Church. The children in grades 1-8 will be serving the meal & entertaining our special guests. We ask that students wear dress clothes for this special meal (church type clothes). Thank you. HAVE A COMMENT, QUESTION, OR CONCERN? We are always ready to listen! Please talk to your teacher right away & follow the procedures as set up in our school handbook. Thank you. Our school handbook states: If a grievance relating to a school incident or application of school policy should arise, God s Word in Matthew 18 tells what procedure will be followed. Courtesy and Christian charity dictate that the matter first be privately discussed between parent and teacher, not with other parents or members of the congregation. If, after a period of time, the problem still exists, the principal should be contacted. If further counsel is deemed necessary at a later time, the pastor and the Board of Christian Day School
Education may be contacted. Let us all remember that errors will be made because we are all sinful human beings. All problems should be approached with prayer and Christian love, allowing God s Word to lead to peaceful and proper solutions. CHRISTIAN ONE LINERS: * Opportunity may knock once, but temptation leans on the bell. * People are funny; they want the front of a line, the middle of the road, & the back of church. * Forbidden fruits create many jams. * Don t wait for 6 strong men to take you to church. WHAT ABOUT JESUS.COM * A web site to introduce others to Jesus * Sign up for daily devotions * Study the Bible book-by-book * Get answers to tough questions * Submit prayer requests * Point your friends & family here * Locate your nearest WELS church * We find so many ways to say it. But the old familiar words are somehow always best. So from every member of our faculty we pray that you will all have a very blessed and Christ-centered Christmas season and for God s richest and choicest blessings for you and yours both now, as we pause with the world to remember the birth of our Lord, & throughout every day in 20 18 Christmas Greetings to all!!!