December 2023
Happy Advent and a blessed Christmas to all! We will have a full month in 3L as we await the birth of our Blessed Savior. This month is full of masses and fun as we practice for our Christmas concert performances of "Arise, Shine" and "Emmanuel". Early in the month, we will spend time in Mass as we honor the Immaculate Conception of Mary on December 8, singing both "Immaculate Mary" and "Hail Holy Queen" to celebrate the woman whose simple "yes" changed the world and became the mother of our Lord and Savior. On the Monday before we break for Christmas with our family, we will attend a short prayer service to celebrate the joy and wonder that is Christmas. It is always a privilege to share the Mass experience with the children as they grow in confidence and love for the gift of prayer and the recitation of responses.
We are also very hard at work in this very short month in our classes as well. In Religion, we will learn the meaning of the Advent candles as well as made our own Advent wreath and listen to stories about the 25 main characters of the Christmas story. We also will make cardstock paper shoes in anticipation of Saint Nicholas's visit on December 6, and learned how his story inspired Santa Claus. To connect Religion to Social Studies, we also are watching a short video on Hanukkah to learn how our Jewish friends celebrate the Festival of Lights, and a short video on Kwanzaa to find out the seven principles of a good life and celebrate the heritage of the African American.
In Math, we continue our journey through multiplication, learning about missing factors playing Yahtzee to challenge our knowledge of the timestables to six,, and creating arrrays to show how we break apart a set, to show us how many in each group and how many groups in each set. We are having fun and sorting out groups as we go along. Lots of brainwork, but also lots of fun!
We are also very hard at work in this very short month in our classes as well. In Religion, we will learn the meaning of the Advent candles as well as made our own Advent wreath and listen to stories about the 25 main characters of the Christmas story. We also will make cardstock paper shoes in anticipation of Saint Nicholas's visit on December 6, and learned how his story inspired Santa Claus. To connect Religion to Social Studies, we also are watching a short video on Hanukkah to learn how our Jewish friends celebrate the Festival of Lights, and a short video on Kwanzaa to find out the seven principles of a good life and celebrate the heritage of the African American.
In Math, we continue our journey through multiplication, learning about missing factors playing Yahtzee to challenge our knowledge of the timestables to six,, and creating arrrays to show how we break apart a set, to show us how many in each group and how many groups in each set. We are having fun and sorting out groups as we go along. Lots of brainwork, but also lots of fun!
Reading brings us stories of wild animals as we read both a study in realistic fiction in Wolf Island as well as persuasive essays in Hello Wolves! and Wolves Don't Belong in Yellowstone. It will be interesting to see how this year's class debates the fate of the wonderful wolves of Yellowstone Park.
Christmas Crafternoon is also upon us very soon, and this year is going to be fun! Let's just say a lot of paint pens will be used to decorate and embellish some awesome memories.
For the second year in a row, we will be joining the rest of the Academy in the schoolwide (Lower Campus) Polar Express Day. We are getting together with our KB buddies and drinking "Hot Hot...Hot CHOCOLATE!" as we gather our magical tickets, and board the train to the North Pole in pursuit of the Jolly Old Elf Himself, Santa Claus.(I don't want to give too much away, just know that we will have a fun filled day!) Don't forget to dress in your best pajamas, 3L, and donate a new pair in size 18/20 (see the Wednesday News for more details) to our classroom to help someone in need. It is going to be a busy month indeed!
And as this busy, beautiful, blessed month comes to a close, I wish you all a blessed Christmas and a peace-filled New Year. The best present is your child's presence as they continue to grow in grace, in faith and in love with our Lord. Thank you again for sharing them with me. It is an honor and privilege to be their teacher.
DATES TO REMEMBER
December 1-Progress Reports
December 1-Christmas Tree Lighting and
Blessing of the Bambellini (Lower Campus)
December 8-Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Lower Campus Mass at 9:45am, all are welcome!)
December 1-Christmas Tree Lighting and
Blessing of the Bambellini (Lower Campus)
December 8-Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Lower Campus Mass at 9:45am, all are welcome!)
December 13-Lower Campus All School Mass (at 9:45am, all are welcome!)
December 13- Saint Christopher Academy Christmas Show (Upper Campus, at 6:30)
December 13- Saint Christopher Academy Christmas Show (Upper Campus, at 6:30)
December 18-Lower Campus Christmas Prayer Service (at 9:45am, all are welcome!)
December 19-Christmas Free Dress
December 19-Christmas Free Dress
December 19-Christmas Crafternoon
December 20-Christmas PJ Day (don't forget your donation!)/Polar Express Day
December 20-Christmas PJ Day (don't forget your donation!)/Polar Express Day
December 21-January 2-Christmas Break
