SCHOOL News
Vision Screening With the exception of a few absentees, vision screening of Grades K, 2, 5, and 8 is complete. Thanks to the following moms who helped with this screening: Siobhan Haskell, Katherine Sorgie, Lisa Napoli, Anne Caltagirone, Anne Kiernan, Kirsten Murtagh, Ann Baglin, Hannah O'Donovan, and Karen Niglio. Little Sisters of the Poor Again this year we have received an appeal from the Little Sisters of the Poor to collect items for their residents at St. Anne’s Home for the Aged. Students can bring their donations to the classrooms from Monday, November 15 through Friday, November 19. A list of suggested items will be sent home next week. Thank you for your generosity! Parish News
 11th Annual Post Thanksgiving Retreat: November 26-28 CYO RETREAT CENTER Enjoy our unique St. Cecilia Parish Family spirit together at CYO Center in the heart of the redwoods in Occidental, California. There are activities for individual parishioners and/or the entire family (children, teens and adults), as well as time in separate groups. Free baby-sitting for 3-6 year-olds. All six meals will be provided at the Retreat Center. Click here for more information and the Registration Form. This is what fellow parishioners have said about last year’s retreat: Describe the value of a retreat at this time of year: We have school-age children, so the months before Thanksgiving are filled with jobs, getting back into the swing of school, two birthdays, the Parish Festival, volleyball, soccer, and so on, ending of course with the big meal on Thanksgiving. When we arrived at the retreat last year, we just let it all go. I didn’t have to cook (hurray!). We were away from home, so we were not bothered by all the little jobs just waiting to be done. There’s no TV or computer to distract us or the kids, so we were able to recharge and focus on each other. It was a lovely break. The Thanksgiving Retreat is really relaxing. I seem to like this time of year to just get away from the city. The retreat provides an excellent opportunity for time to think about God and reflect upon the blessings in my life. Describe how this is a real coming together of the Saint Cecilia Parish Family: This is a wonderful way to strengthen and make new friendships outside of the traditional Mass and school environments. The topics encourage talking and sharing with each other but without any pressure. This closeness helps us to see ourselves as our neighbor sees us, thus boosting our self-image, deepening our faith, and inspiring us to get closer to God. Describe how this retreat deepens your spiritual life: This retreat allows me the opportunity to spend more time in personal prayer, spiritual reading, meditation, and sharing my faith with others. There is a sense of peace as there is no TV, cell phone ringing, inappropriate loud music, or rushing around to get things done. The walk up the hill and just looking around and seeing so much beauty is relaxing and spiritual. The retreat helps me step away from distractions and to deepen my relationship with God through prayer. It helps me to get away from the city and enjoy nature. I liked the way that the focus was on the spirit and identifying ways to be a better person or recognizing your own challenges. My husband isn’t Catholic, and we were initially worried that he’d been uncomfortable. But the focus isn’t on dogma, and inter-faith families shouldn’t hesitate to attend. The retreat helps you deepen your relationship with God, and in this retreat you also get to play fun games. Mothers' club
Message from Sally Holper, Mothers’ Club President Dear SC Moms, At this writing, as we finish up the month of October, the Giants are up 3-1 in the World Series. However, by the time you read this letter, San Francisco may be home to the World Series Champions or ready to play another game to realize the dream. California will have a new Governor elect and other newly elected officials. Our children will have crashed from their Halloween sugar high. There is a certain predictability to the cycle of the school year, and as I spend my last year at St. Cecilia’s with my 8th grade daughter, I appreciate those SC events that bring the two of us closer together: chaperoning the 8th grade retreat and spending the night at CYO camp in a cabin with eight teenage girls, purchasing a small gift for her Kindergarten buddy, shopping for her Halloween costume, finding the perfect "outfit" for the Father/Daughter dance on November 6, and, of course, every morning saying a special prayer for James and Gaby Greig as they move on in their lives experiencing birthdays and anniversaries without their loved ones. I hope all of you, in your busy lives, will take the time to make connections with both your children and other SC moms, sharing stories, and building relationships to enhance your SC experience and the experience of others in the year to come. Lisa Presta and her committee look forward to seeing you at the Winter Luncheon on Sunday, December 5. Look for details to come. Please continue to support the Scrip program under the excellent direction of Lynda Buckley as Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Happy All Saints Day, and Go Giants! Scrip November and December are traditionally the busiest months for the Scrip program. We want to exceed last year’s numbers and want to encourage the great response that we have had since the mandatory parents’ meeting. For those of you who have ordered scrip, thank you very much, and to those of you who haven’t had an opportunity to do so, here is your chance! With thanksgiving just around the corner, grocery shopping will be a key task, and we have added a number of merchants that support our program. If every family purchased just $200 worth of Safeway, Lucky, Guerra’s, Mollie Stones, or Costco for their Thanksgiving feasts, St. Cecilia would make $3,200 for the month of November. Please take the time to send in a check and place your order. Will you need new table linens or Thanksgiving decorations? We have Bed Bath and Beyond, TJ Maxx, Target, and Macys for your shopping pleasure. Please take the time to order scrip and support our school. Need a hostess gift? Try a $16 gift certificate for a one-pound box of chocolate at See’s Candies. SC Scrip program pays only $12 for each certificate, so we make $4 for each one. No extra money out of your pocket! Please download the NEW( as of October 24) scrip order form (click here) and check out the NEW VENDORS that we have added. ) Send your order with your check to the school office on Thursday morning. Be sure to indicate your preferred method of delivery. Orders will be filled on Thursday morning and delivered on Thursday afternoon. Please contact Lynda Buckley at padrondar@sbcglobal.net if you have any questions. Mothers’ Club Winter Brunch SC moms, please make your reservation for the 2010 Mothers’ Club Winter Champagne Brunch on Sunday, December 5, 11:30 to 2:30, at the Olympic Club. Great food, champagne, and raffle. Please contact Lisa Presta at 415-681-1049. Box Tops Thanks to all of you for taking the time to clip Box Tops. We collected 5,571 Box Tops which equates to $557.10 for the school. Mrs. Watters’ Kindergarten AM class collected the most Box Tops to win the first contest of the school year. Congratulations! The class will be treated to cupcakes and free dress passes. Please continue to collect these precious squares and look for more information about our next contest. If you have any questions regarding Box Tops, please contact Peachie Nacario at peachie@nacarioshome.com Thank you! Sunshine Newsletter Click here for the Sunshine Newsletter which recognizes the Primary Grades Citizens of the Week and reminds us to pray for those who have died. Other
The Men of St. Cecilia The Men of St. Cecilia present the 2nd annual Father/Daughter Dance on Saturday, November 6, 2010, at 7:00 P.M., in the Durocher Pavilion. The evening will include dessert, dancing, face painting, caricaturists, and a photographer. The cost is: dads, $25 ($35 at the door) and daughters $20 ($30 at the door). The 3rd daughter is FREE! Please make your check out to SC Men’s Club and drop it off at the rectory. For more contact Mike Riordan at mriordan@mcguire.com Parent Survey The Athletic Board wants your feedback on the CYO Athletic Programs! Some time during the next two weeks all students in Grades 3-8 who participated in CYO soccer or volleyball will complete a survey and evaluation of their fall sporting experience. These surveys will completed in school during P.E. class. The Athletic Board is also very interested in parent feedback! Please complete the parent survey (click here) and return it to the school office to the attention "Athletic Board Survey." Parents will have the opportunity to complete surveys for each sport season throughout the school year. Please participate to help improve the Athletic Programs! If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact Romy Scott, President of the Athletic Board at romyscott@yahoo.com Volunteers for Cross Country Meet The Athletic Board is looking for a parent volunteer(s) to help coordinate the SC runners for the CYO Cross Country Meet on Sunday, November 7, at Golden Gate Park, beginning at 11:30. The volunteer(s) will need to register the runners and make sure they have name tags on. If you are interested, please call Mary Ann Paul at 415-664-6905 ext.#2 and leave your name and number. Athletic Board Gift Wrap Fundraiser - Thank You! A big thank you to all who sold and purchased gift wrap, magazines, and other goodies for athletic fundraiser. Items ordered through the Internet have been delivered. All other orders should reach the school around November 15 and will be distributed to each child as soon as possible. The Athletic Board appreciates your participation in this fundraiser and making it a great success. All proceeds go directly to help with the costs of our Athletic Program. Twenty-eight students qualified for the pizza/bowling party by selling 25, 35, 40 or more items. They will be enjoying this outing on November 12. Important
Dates Second Grade Reconciliation Meeting Parents and Children Saturday, November 6, 9:15-12:30 Father Daughter Dance Saturday, November 6, 7:00 P.M. School Liturgy Thursday, November 11, 11:00 Collection for St. Anne’s Home Monday, November 15-Friday, November 19 Room For “Improve”ment Improv Show Saturday, November 20, 1:30-3:00 Minimum Day, Teacher In-Service Monday, November 22 Minimum Day, Beginning of Thanksgiving Holidays Wednesday, November 24 No School Friday, November 26 Parish Retreat Friday, November 26, 4:00 to Sunday, November 28, 1:00 First Reconciliation Tuesday, November 30, 7:30 P.M. Events &
Reminders
|
