ST. MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL ROCKET REVIEW / NOVEMBER 27, 2013 / VOLUME 1, NO.

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Ways to celebrate Advent as a family from Mrs. Amos

Begin by Blessing your Advent wreath. The use of the Advent Wreath is a traditional practice which has found its place in the Church as well as in the home. The blessing of an Advent Wreath takes place on the First Sunday of Advent or on the evening before the First Sunday of Advent. When the blessing of the Advent Wreath is celebrated in the home, it is appropriate that it be blessed by a parent or another member of the family. All make the sign of the cross as the leader says: Our help is in the name of the Lord. Response (R/.) Who made heaven and earth. Then the Scripture, Isaiah 9: (lines 1-2 and 5-6) or Isaiah 63 (lines 16-17 & 19) or Isaiah 64 (lines 2-7) is read: Reader: The Word of the Lord R/. Thanks be to God. With hands joined, the leader says: Lord our God, we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ: he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples, he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us, he is the Savior of every nation. Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we light the candles of this wreath. May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christs promise to bring us salvation. May he come quickly and not delay. We ask this through Christ our Lord R/. Amen. The blessing may conclude with a verse from O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: O come, desire of nations, bind in one the hearts of humankind; and be thyself our Prince of peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. Then light the first candle.
A "Jesse Tree". . . is another tradition your family can include in your Advent observance, especially if you have young children. A Jesse Tree depicts the relationship of Jesus with Jesse and other biblical figures who were the ancestors of Jesus. Jesse was the father of King David and is often looked upon as the first person in the genealogy of Jesus. For your own Jesse Tree, a branch can be placed into a pot or a large vase at the beginning of Advent and every day a new ornament can be added to it. These ornaments represent individual figures or stories from the Old and New Testaments. As the children place the ornaments onto the branch, a parent can read an appropriate Scripture passage that talk about the given ancestor of Jesus. There are many passages that can be chosen and many symbols Make or purchase an Advent calendar and open the window for the first day of the season or download the Family Advent Calendar from usccb.org, and post it in your home as a reminder to take time for prayer and family every day during this holy season.

that can represent various figures. Each family can create their own list of figures and symbols.

December 1 - PTO Breakfast with Santa

IMPORTANT DATES

Sign-Up for Lunch Volunteers online. See the website for the link! Thank you for all you do to help St. Mary!

December 3 - Accreditation Visit December 5 - Advent Sacramental Rosary 5:45PM in the church with Fr. Jim December 5 - Picture Re-Take Day December 8 - Confirmation Session 9:30-11:30AM

Shop with Scrip: Did you know?

You can create online Scrip accounts for family, friends, and coworkers and link those accounts to yours so that every time they purchase Scrip, it is credited to your account! The more people purchasing Scrip through your family, the higher the discount on your tuition! Be sure to contact Beth or Kim in the parish office with the names of the people you've set up with Scrip accounts so that you can receive credit. Featured Retailer: 1-800-BASKETS (12% Contribution) Gourmet gift baskets and food gifts including premium chocolate, fruit, wine and spa. Available in traditional gift cards and ScripNow.

*****Scrip News*****
THANK-SCRIP-ING IS ALMOST HERE!!! On Thanksgiving Day, November 28th, get ready for another one day event featuring big rebates on ScripNow products! The promotion starts at 12:01am Eastern. The full list of one day only bonuses will be revealed on ShopWithScrip.com. For 24 hours, you can earn some of the highest rebates ever! The following are brands are now available faster than ever with ReloadNow: Shell, Gap, 76, BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Sunoco, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, Mainstay Suites, Suburban, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, Ascend Collection Cabela's $100 ScripNow ECards now available! It's EASIER than EVER to order ScripNow! With new changes to the ScripNow ordering pages, just enter the total dollar amount you want and that's it! Super simple! If you haven't already, set up a Presto Pay account using our school code 195514567LL and give it a try!

Increased Rebates are currently available on the following retailers:Hallmark (6%), Journeys (13%), Meijer (4%), Red Robin (12%), Restaurant.com (60%), Shutterfly (11%), Smart & Final (5%),

Important Dates for Sacramental Candidates:

December 4: those who signed up to clean pew please arrive in the church at 7:15p.m. December 5: All candidates will meet in church for the Advent Rosary with Father Jim. Please arrive at 5:45, sit in the front pews, and remember to bring your rosary. 8th graders will sit with a second grader to help them with praying the rosary. Please remember that Eucharist Adoraon will be taking place, so when you enter the church you are to genuect on both knees before entering the pew, kneel or sit in silence and adore our Lord on the Altar, THIS IS NOT A TIME TO SOCIALIZE WITH YOUR FRIENDS. December 7: those who signed up to help organize the giving tree gis please arrive at 10am in the parish center we should nish by noon. December 8: Conrmaon Session 9:30a.m.-11:30a.m. December 16: The conrmaon candidates and pre-sacraments (7th) are invited to sing at the King Haven assisted living in Riverview at 7pm if interested in joining please send me an email. January 12- Conrmaon Session 9:30am-11:30am

PTO NEWS
Thanksgiving Lunch

Thank You:

On behalf of the St. Mary PTO, we would like to thank Mr. Grima, Ms. Caran and their team of dedicated volunteers who worked to prepare such an incredible and delicious meal for the students & staff of our wonderful school. We would also like to thank the volunteers who came out to school to help serve everyone the incredible meal. This tradition has been ongoing for the past 15-years, and we are so truly blessed at St. Mary School that it has continued over the years. What an amazing school we have. Thank you again! Check online for the article in the News Herald!

Drop Off & Pick Up Procedure Reminder:

Now that our school parking lot is complete, here is a reminder for the AM drop off and PM pick up procedure. Please remember that the safety of all children and adults is our primary concern, therefore, we ask that you adhere to this procedure to the best of your ability. AM Drop Off: Enter through the NORTH entrance gate only (Marked ENTER ONLY from the outside) There is only (1) lane to drop off, do not form a double drop off lane with your car If just dropping off your child, proceed slowly up to the handicap spots and stop Do not block the crosswalk with your vehicle, and once your child has existed the car, look to make certain no one is crossing in front of you and exit slowly out of the SOUTH gate only (Marked EXIT ONLY from the outside) If you need to walk your child into school, enter through the NORTH entrance gate, and proceed to park in a parking spot We ask that you do not let your child run through the parking lot, please walk with them to the crosswalk, where the crossing guards are stationed, and proceed into school

PM Pick Up: Enter through the NORTH entrance gate only (Marked ENTER ONLY from the outside) Proceed to park your vehicle in a parking spot For families with smaller children, we ask that you please meet your child at the crosswalk when the bell rings, and walk them back to your car Exit slowly out of the SOUTH gate only (Marked EXIT ONLY from the outside)

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PLEASE CONTINUE TO SAVE YOUR CANS & BOTTLES OVER THE HOLIDAY, AS THE BOTTLE DRIVE WILL BEGIN AFTER CHRISTMAS BREAK!! The totals are in for the Oct-Nov PTO bottle drive and we made over $210.00 for Pennies for Playground. Therefore, due to a request, the bottle drive will start back up immediately after Christmas Break. Please save all of your holiday cans & bottles, and let the PTO take them back for you! Again, we want to thank everyone who has participated in our bottle drive, especially the Brinker family as we could not have done this without your endless help. Thank you, Thank you and THANK YOU!