Building Bridges
Between School & Home
November 2014
Give Thanks
IMPORTANT DATES:
● 11/4-5 Class & Individual Photos
● 11/11 Family
Chapel
● 11/20 Thanksgiving Feast (3’s & 4’s)
● 11/24-11/28
School Closed for
Thanksgiving Holidays
Little Saints Enjoying Reading
Notes From the Director
November is here and we have so many reasons to give thanks. As the holidays
approach our teachers are helping our little saints become aware of their many blessings and express their thanks with grateful hearts. I am so thankful for All Saints
School and for all of the precious children and families that we serve. I am overwhelmed with thanks for our loving teachers. They are so special and give of themselves so freely. They are truly His servants.
Make sure to check out the article about our Thanksgiving Feast on November
20th. It will be a wonderful time of fellowship for our school family. I can’t think of a
better way to kick-off our holiday season!
Finally, I wanted to thank the teacher appreciation committee and all of the
parents who were so generous in preparing the delicious lunch for the staff during the
Parent Teacher conferences. Wow! It was fantastic and such a treat for the teachers
after all of that hard work preparing for the conferences. We appreciate you so much.
In Christ,
Kristin
All Saints Kindergarten Coming Next Year!
We have some exciting news for you. After much consideration we have decided to bring back
our Kindergarten beginning in the fall of 2015. Our school was established 25 years ago as a
Mother’s Day Out program and within 2 years it became a full-fledged preschool to meet the
needs of the community. Eventually, kindergarten was added as the need arose and later it
was dropped as the need declined.
Our families have been asking for Kindergarten for a few years and we are excited to reestablish the class. Our intention is to have a small class (10-12 children) with one lead
teacher. The curriculum will continue to have a playful, discovery element while shifting the
focus to developing all of the requisite cognitive skills required of kindergarteners. Please
share this information with your friends and neighbors. We are excited to get the word out in
the community! Registration will take place at the end of January along with registration for
all of our classes.
A Parent’s Prayer of Thanksgiving
Dear Lord,
Thank you for this sink of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.
Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.
And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and
comfortable last night. I know that many have no bed.
My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mess,
soggy, grimy towels and the dirty lavatory; they are all so convenient.
Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; it has
served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for
two or three meals.
Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today; it has baked so
many things over the years.
The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that needs mowing and lawn that needs
raking; we all enjoy the yard.
Thank you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to
run and play. Many children cannot.
Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says You have richly blessed my
family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.
Amen.
Christmas Outreach Project
For our Christmas Outreach this year we are
going to provide some Christmas goodies for local
families who are in need. All Saints Church has a food
outreach program called “Love Wins.” Once a month
we deliver boxes of food to about 140 local families
whose children attend Lakemont, Brookshire, and Killarney Elementary Schools. Our school is going to go
above and beyond that for five families in need. Our
Sunday School children will also be sponsoring several
families. Soon you will receive a specific list of items
needed such as canned goods, Wal-mart gift certificates, new children’s clothes (with specific sizes), children’s toys (specific requests), and toiletries. If you or
your family is interested in sponsoring another family
please let us know as the need is great. We are so excited to serve our local children in need and to give our
little saints the opportunity to experience the joy of
giving to other children. Look for a Sign-Up Genius
email soon which will have specific items to donate!
Thank you.
TEACHER BIRTHDAYS
11/1 Peggy Miller
11/9 Molly Carrera
11/26 Peggy Bobo
Buy Your Christmas Wreaths Now!
The All Saints School Christmas Wreath Sale is now underway. We have 2 wreaths to choose from, the
traditional wreath and the Cross wreath! Both are beautiful Balsam Firs fresh from Maine. These wonderfully fragrant wreaths are festive decorations for your home or office. They make perfect gifts for
friends and relatives.
Direct shipment is available. A great gift for out-of-town friends and family. Just tell us where to deliver,
and a fresh, fragrant Maine wreath will be at their foor.
Pick-up: Traditional or Cross Wreath $30
Delivery: Traditional or Cross Wreath $45
Deadline for all orders is Friday, November 21st.
Payment is due with all orders. Please make checks payable to All Saints Church. Wreaths will be delivered during the 1st weekend in December.
All Saints School’s Pumpkin Patch
Our Outdoor Classroom is an extension of your child’s classroom. It is a special place
where we encourage creativity and hands-on learning. We hope to foster one of the
most vital ingredients for effective learning – wonderment. Rachel Carson expressed it
well in her book The Sense of Wonder (1956, 56): “It is not half so important to know
as to feel….The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil.”
We are grateful for all the pumpkins the children have brought to share with their
friends. The children have been thrilled to play with so many pumpkins in assorted
sizes, colors and shapes. The pumpkins have been handled, carried, rolled, hauled,
dropped, weighed, measured, stacked, transformed into seats or stands, cracked,
planted and watered. In the pictures, you will see a Pre-K Class planting their pumpkins. Why? So they will grow bigger of course!
As cooler weather rolls in, we encourage you to go on a Nature Walk with your child. If
your child finds treasures (leaves, rocks, sticks, clippings, pinecones, etc.) along the
way, please carefully collect it and ask your child if he/she would like to bring it to the
Outdoor Classroom to show and share. Have fun!
Embracing the Holiday Season with Young Children
I love October, November and December. It is my favorite time of year. I decorate early and
love every color, light and fanciful decoration that I see. I love hearing about other families’ traditions.
It can be an overwhelming time of year for many families with young children. The finances, the obligations, the crazy schedules but through it all I am thankful for every moment of this season. This is a
magical time of year for young children. Their imaginations can run wild, it is like preschool; they can
dress up, smell the delicious smells of the season, run their fingers through many different textures;
pumpkins, feathers, and branches. Stores are decked out in bright and glittery colors and the lights, the
lights are everywhere.
I love listening to my own children talk about the traditions that we have; from imagining which
costume to wear, to the “Thankful List” we make each November, to deciding where to leave their stocking. Will the cowboy pirate make an appearance this season or maybe a ninja turtle, or a swat team
member? What will make the “Thankful List” this year? Will they finally be brave enough to actually put
their stocking in their room for Santa to fill or will they once again hang their stockings on their bedroom
door? I love when my children make traditions for our family such as, reading the poems in the book
Thanksgiving Day at Our House, leaving a sleigh bell somewhere in their room on Christmas Eve and
apparently a matchbox car is a must in all stockings.
Studies have shown that when children use
their imaginations they are developing social skills, like sharing and showing empathy for others. They
are building their self confidence in their abilities and potential. Imaginative play will help your children’s vocabulary; improve sentence structure and communication skills. Using one’s imagination is the
beginning of abstract thought which will help young children eventually learn that numbers symbolize a
group of objects and letters symbolize sounds.
I hope that before the season begins you will take a moment and prepare yourself for all the
amazing ways you can encourage your Little Saint’s imagination. When the season begins to get overwhelming remember this is a fleeting season and it will soon be over (just like preschool.) The lights, the
smells and the colors will soon be changing. Join me in taking a deep breath and enjoying each moment
of the Holiday Season with your family.
Lori Pierce, Curriculum Resource Teacher
Childhood is the most beautiful of all life’s seasons --Author Unknown
Baby Blessing
Calling all new babies and their families. We will have a
special baby Family Chapel on December 9th. Father
Russell will bless our new babies (any babies born since
last spring) and we will give them their All Saints prayer
blankets. Please let the office know if you will be attending so that we can be sure to have enough blankets!
Baby Monkey
All Saints Church Christmas Eve Pageant - A Family-Friendly Tradition!
Each year during All Saints' 4pm Christmas Eve service, the Thomas Center is filled with
the joyous telling of Christ's birth told through song, word and acting. Our Narrators are
Fourth through Sixth graders, and actors are Kindergarten through Third graders. These
young saints take their roles very seriously. Narrators begin rehearsing at the end of November, and learn the . The Choir Club choirs' rehearse their anthems for weeks, and the
silent nativity actors spend Wednesday afternoons rehearsing roles ranging from Mary,
Joseph, and the Angel Gabriel, to our youngest lambs, shepherds and angels. Through
the years, the size of the cast has grown. Today, approximately 40 - 60 children come together to share the miraculous story with the congregation.
During the month of December, Choir Club parent volunteers and dedicated staff are
also busy leading rehearsals, organizing costumes and props, preparing snacks, and
helping children learn their music. By Christmas Eve, everyone arrives in great anticipation of performing the pageant for the congregation. Moms and dads help their little angels find their wings and halos, young shepherds tug at the unfamiliar feel of their headpieces, while narrators suddenly look very grown up in their holiday best. "The Christmas Eve Pageant is a big tradition for our family," says Liz Stewart, mom of Choir Club
alum Betsy, and sons Jack and Charlie, who were both going to be narrators this year.
"We wouldn't miss it!"
If you have a Kindergarten through Sixth Grader who would like to take part in this
year's Christmas Eve pageant, please contact Choir Club Coordinator/Pageant director
Sarah Martin at [email protected] for more information.
All Saints Gives First Graders Bibles on
December 7
All Saints’ first graders will be presented with Bibles of
their very own on Sunday, December 7, in the 9:00
a.m. Family Service. Mark your calendar for this very special event!
The bestselling NIrV Kids' Study Bible engages early readers full-color artwork by Joel Tanis and complete NIrV
(New International Readers’ Version) text. Please contact
Children’s Ministries Director Dolly Dunnam at
[email protected] with your child’s name as you
would like it to appear in their Bible.
Christmas Eve Pageant 2013
Meghan Joyce Friends of the Library
Birthday Book Club
Give your little Saint the birthday gift that keeps on giving!
Dear All Saints School Families,
We wanted to inform you of a very important fund set up in honor of a very important, loving, smart
and beautifully blessed little girl, Meghan Mary Joyce.
Meghan was a student at All Saints School several years ago and she was called home at the tender
young age of seven. Meghan courageously battled cancer and her little body had to endure surgery,
radiation, and chemotherapy. Through it all, she and her family remained prayerfully determined &
faithful to live each day sharing with others the goodness of God’s love, grace and mercy. Her little
life ended so early but her legacy continues to live on here at All Saints School. The angel statue on
our playground is in honor of Meghan and the beautiful life she so loved living. It is a reminder of all
the wonderful memories her family made with their daughter at All Saints School and a symbol of
God’s love and care for our children as they enjoy the innocence of childhood.
To celebrate Meghan’s life and her spirit, All Saints School set up the Meghan Joyce Friends of the
Library fund. It is a beautiful birthday tradition – contribute ten dollars to the Meghan Joyce
Friends of the Library fund and a book will be donated to the All Saints School Library in your
child’s name for other little Saints to enjoy for years to come! It is through your generosity that our
school’s library continues to grow. Each day our teachers share stories with our children that bring
them joy and foster a love of learning, just as it did for Meghan.
To participate in the Birthday Book Club, please fill out the form that will go home with your child or
you can print off the attached document. Copies can also be found year-round in the school office,
online and in our monthly newsletter. Please return it with ten dollars to your child’s teacher or to
the box in the front office marked “Friends of the Library.” Your child will get to select a brand new
book to be kept in the library in his/her name. They will receive an honorary birthday crown and
have their picture taken to proudly display alongside Meghan’s photograph. The book will be sent
home with your child during their birthday week so it can be enjoyed at home before returning it to
the library. If your child has a summer birthday, please feel free to celebrate their half birthday or
indicate on the form if you’d prefer April or May. Your child’s name, birthday and dedication will be
placed inside the book. Once returned, it can be used by our teachers to share in their classrooms.
As we celebrate the lives of our treasured little ones, we will continue to graciously remember the life
of dear Meghan Joyce. Thank you for supporting our library by giving to the Meghan Joyce Friends
of the Library fund. For more information, please contact Elise Breth, [email protected].
Blessings,
Elise Breth
MEGHAN JOYCE
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
Give the birthday gift that keeps on giving!
Contribute $10 to the MEGHAN JOYCE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY FUND, and a book will be donated in your
child’s name to the All Saints School Library.
Your child has his/her choice from a selection of various high-quality titles.
If you are interested in participating in the Friends of the Library Birthday Book Club, please fill out the form below and
return it to the office in the box marked “Friends of the Library.” Once you return the form and a check for $10, your
child will get to choose a book to be kept in the library in his/her name. Your child’s name, birthday, and any dedication
you wish to include will be placed in the book. The book will be sent home with your child for one week, so he/she can
read it at home before it is returned to the library. After that, it can be checked out by the teachers to be used in their
classrooms.
NAME:
_______________________________________________
TEACHER/ROOM:
_______________________________________________
BIRTHDAY:
_______________________________________________
TO:
_______________________________________________
FROM:
_______________________________________________
DEDICATION: _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
*****Checks for $10 should be made payable to All Saints School (no cash, please).*****
_____ Paid (Check #________)
______ Label
______ Book Selected (Title _____________________________________)
Date to be returned to library ________________
**FOR LIBRARY USE ONLY
November 2014
Things are really rolling now at All Saints! It's hard for me to believe that
Thanksgiving is on its way and Christmas should be on my mind. I have
to be honest - Christmas is not on my mind! I would rather slow down a
bit and enjoy the Fall season.
Hopefully you had the opportunity to join me at the Fall Festival and experience our wonderful All Saints School community of families. I want
to thank all of those that decorated their trunks and provided yummy
treats for our trick or treaters. Audra Bussey, Christina Lahr, and Elizabeth Ruby - thank you for organizing this wonderful event!
Our next event, Thanksgiving Feast and Musical Performance, is a family
favorite with children in the Three's and Pre-k classes. The adorable performance and delicious meal are a fun way to celebrate Thanksgiving on
November 20th at 12 pm. Please refer to the Thanksgiving Feast form in
the newsletter or on our website to purchase your meals as soon as possible. Please be on the lookout for an email from Signup Genius if you are
interested in helping!
The time has come to place your Christmas wreath orders! Please consider buying a wreath for you or family members and support All Saints
School’s holiday fundraiser. Over the years, I have sent wreaths to
neighbors, out of town family members, and friends, they make an easy
holiday gift that is beautiful and fragrant. I enjoy them for my own home
as well! Order forms can be found in this newsletter, the front office, and
will go home in your child’s backpack.
Thank you for your continued support of All Saints School. May you and
your family be blessed this holiday season and always.
Jennifer Beaman Clark,
PTO President