December 9, 2009

“Let Me Be As Christ To You”

Through the eyes of children, Christmas can be a magical time, lights, glitter, carols…. For me, I honestly don’t remember even one specific gift. It is the traditions that I remember: Midnight Mass, placing baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning, decorating the tree as a family…. I prefer to keep the commercial “Santa” out of our celebration and offer you the attached “Santa’s Prayer on Christmas Eve” as a crossover idea. Certainly the spirit of Santa exists in the generosity and kindness of all of you.

Thank you to all who were able to attend a “Coffee with Kathy” this week. I appreciate the many ideas shared and will update you soon on what will come next. Any who were unable to attend, please consider emailing any suggestions. It has been suggested that I offer an evening coffee and I will work on a date in January.

Bakers and Volunteers are needed to work and to bake on Sunday and Monday for Peppermint Shoppe

• Return gift list and money to the office no later than 8:00a.m. Monday morning
• Jr. High parents please email Erin Pynes @ epynes@cox.net if your child can be an elf on Sunday
• Water bottle flats are needed ASAP (cardboard trays water/soda bottles come on   with little lip around the edges) Send in to the office before Friday.
• A Special Peppermint Shoppe table will be set up in the office this week displaying a few items for sale this Sunday & Monday. It gives an idea of the price ranges.

Holiday Spirit Day is Monday, Dec 14^th. Students are invited to dress in dress code appropriate holiday colors.

Only ONE more gift card order date for Christmas delivery!  See’s Candy and Harry & David make great corporate year-end gifts.  Or consider $10 stocking stuffer cards:  Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Panera, or Barnes & Noble.  And iTunes is now available in $15 or $25 denominations!  This is so easy! When going directly to shopwithscrip.com you will find many more choices than on the order form at school; including more restaurants, Visa gift cards, American Express gift cards, and on and on! Select your scrip, print out your order and send your check to the office. It’s that simple! Log in to shopwithscrip.com to place your order.  E-mail Christine at sjascrip@gmail.com with any questions.

Just in time for Christmas, the St. James Spirit and Inspire Choirs are pleased to announce the release of “Listen to the Angels Sing”, a Christmas CD featuring a mix of Christmas and praise songs. Anne Marie Oldham and Grammy-Award winning Engineer and Producer Steve Churchyard assembled more than 40 St. James singers and musicians to perform on the CD. Proceeds will benefit St. James Academy, St. James Church and the St. James Youth Music Ministry Program. To listen to samples of selections from the CD, please visit www.saintjamesmusic.org. CDs are $17.00 including tax and preorder forms are available online or in the school office. Academy families may pick up preordered CDs or purchase CDs in the school office starting December 14^th but must have exact cash or check made out to St. James Church.

Don’t forget that your Mission Circle Children’s Gift Box is due Wednesday, December 16^th. Please see Mrs. Kwasniewski to get a form and a picture of your child gift recipient. Also, boxes are in the office for gently used or new sweaters, blankets or coats. All sizes are welcome.

All our invited to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe on the eve of her Feast Day: December 11^th at St. James Church there will be a 7:00p.m. Rosary and Procession; 8:30 will be the Message of Our Lady; 9:30 the play “The Apparitions”; 10:30 Aztec Dancers; 11:00 Mass with Mariachi; Midnight Mananitas.

The annual SJA Christmas program is next Thursday evening, December 17^th at 7:00p.m. in the church. All have been hard at work preparing for a magical evening. Please join us! But please do not arrive before 6:30 because the doors will not open until 6:45.

SJA Kids Korps Chapter update:  Many thanks to the Renshaw and Whitton children for helping prepare boxed meals for local families and people in Tanzania this past Sunday.   This event was sponsored by the Friends & Family Community Connection.  For more information on FFCC services and projects, visit www.ffcc-sd.org.  Our Kids Korps chapter will be preparing Brown Bag snacks for the Bread of Life Center in Oceanside this week.  These are snack bags that the center gives out to homeless people as a little extra food and nourishment.  If you are not Kids Korps members, but would like to prepare a snack bag to donate, please contact Janelle @ 858-342-9558 for details.                                                                         

School is out for Christmas vacation beginning at NOON next Friday, December 18^th. THERE IS NO DAY CARE THAT AFTERNOON.

Financially supporting parishioners: If you have not already done so, your $500.00 parish contribution is due to the church no later than December 31^st to retain your tuition status for next year.

Semester payments were due in the academy office December 1^st.

Lost and Found drawers are overflowing again. Both drawers will be emptied on December 18^th. Also, please check that your children have their uniform items and have not mistakenly taken home another student’s clothing.

Please note that these items are available on-line: Parents in Prayer, Peppermint Shoppe fliers, Girls Softball league registration