Parents, do you have a child ready for kindergarten (5 years old as of September 1, 2010)? Do you plan to enroll an older child in our school for the 2010-2011 school year? If so, click here for the Request for Sibling Application form. We also sent this form home today with the oldest child.

This completed Request for Sibling Application form is due in the school office by Friday, December 11! You will them receive an application packet and screening date on Monday, January 4. The completed packet of papers must be returned by Wednesday, January 13. No child will be screened without a completed application packet.

Advent
Last Sunday, November 29, was the First Sunday of Advent. During Advent we learn how to wait and pray, and we try to live according to the teachings of the prophets. Then we can be ready to receive the Messiah with joy. We want to share with you the various ways that we, as a school family, will be preparing for Christmas during this Advent season:

Advent Requests
This year there is an overwhelming need for gifts for children in the Bay Area. Because of the need we will sponsor two collections within our school:

1. The Advent Giving Tree for Grades 7-8 Each Junior High student has chosen a paper ornament with a gift request. These gifts will be distributed to our sisters and brothers at St. Peter’s School, St. Charles School and CFF, St. Boniface Parish, Sacred Heart Parish, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, St. Vincent’s School for Boys in Marin, and Mt. St. Joseph and St. Elizabeth’s Home. Monsignor Harriman has given the students a prayer for each day during Advent. Gifts (with the ornament attached) should be wrapped and brought to the classroom on Thursday, December 10.

2. Toys For Tots Collection for Grades K-6 December 7-11
The Student Council will be sponsoring its annual TOYS FOR TOTS collection from December 7 through December 11. In the past St. Cecilia Students have been very generous, and we know you will continue that generous spirit during this Holiday Season. Please participate in this event. You can help brighten a child’s Christmas with a gift of a toy. During this week we ask that you bring in NEW, UNWRAPPED toys. They do not have to be expensive toys, just something that will help make Christmas special for another child. Please do not bring in toys that suggest violence. The Commissioners-At-Large will be at each classroom door from 8:00 - 8:10 collecting toys. Thank you for your support. Remember that Christmas spirit!

Prayer
In the quiet waiting of Advent, we pray to the Lord. As a school community we will take quiet prayer time each morning. The bulletin board by the office will reflect our Advent prayer. If you are in the school building at morning announcements, we ask that you join us in prayer.

Family Advent Table Tent

On Monday, November 23, each family received an Advent table tent which actually lights up (when a tea candle is placed inside). Not only that--the table tent also proclaims the meaning of the Advent season, featuring the traditional themes of the Advent--Be Hopeful, Be Ready, Be Joyful, Be Love. We hope this will help to make Advent more meaningful for you and your families.

St. Nicholas
On Friday, December 4, we will celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas. Each child (and teacher) will put a shoe outside the classroom door. We look forward to a “sweet” for each of us!

Sacrament of Reconciliation
Grades 3- 8 will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Monday, December 7.

Advent Pageant
The Primary Grades are planning their Advent Pageant for the student body on Friday, December 11, at our 11:00 Mass, and for the parish on Sunday, December 13, at the 9:30 Family Mass. The Men of St. Cecilia will sponsor the Pancake Breakfast following this Mass.

Christmas Concerts
On Tuesday, December 15 some of our music students will present a Christmas Concert in the auditorium:
10:40 Grades KAM, 2, 4, 6, 8
1:30 Grades KPM, 1, 3, 5, 7


Christmas Boutique
The children’s Christmas Boutique will be on Thursday, December 17, in the Lower Church. A BIG thank you to the chairpersons: Celine Calalang and Mariwil Wong.

Spirit of Christmas
On Friday, December 18, at 11:30, we will have a prayer service in Church entitled “The Spirit of Christmas”. You are welcome to join us!

Epiphany Parties
In keeping with the spirit of Advent, we will not have Christmas parties before vacation. Classes will have Epiphany parties on Friday, January 8. May the Advent season bring you deep blessings, and may the light of Christ fill your days with peace.

Mothers’ Club Winter Social

Come to the Mothers' Club Winter Social with friends or as a single!
No seating assignments required!
It's a mix and mingle!
Cliff House, 11:00-3:00, December 5, 2009!
Food, cocktails, and raffle!
Please contact Carla Sullivan 415-333-5360
or Amy Sullivan 415-333-7855.


St. Cecilia Mothers’ Club Recipe Collection
Need a holiday gift or a hostess present? Consider the St. Cecilia Recipe Collection. Our community cookbook is a best seller and includes approximately 250 tried and true family recipes, many of which are treasured family keepsakes. Be inspired to try some new holiday recipes. The collection includes some wonderful everyday favorites and some gourmet meals. We even have some recipes for those in a hurry.

Books are $15 each or 3 for $30. Click here for the order form and return it to the school office. Sally will also be selling books after the 7:30 A.M. Mass on Saturday, December 5 and after the 9:30 A.M. Mass on Sunday, December 6. Checks should be made payable to St. Cecilia Mothers’ Club. Orders are filled once a week on Mondays. Any questions, please contact Sally at cookbooksc@earthlink.net.

Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed
It is volunteer time to help out in January, February, March, April, and May! To keep the FABULOUS hot lunch food coming, we need 8 volunteers each day from 11:00-1:15. There is no food preparation! You just help each student pick up their meals. It is great fun, and the kids LOVE to see their parents helping out. Please consider taking on a few shifts in 2010!! Here are the dates for which we need assistance:
January: 5, 7, 12 ,14, 19, 21, 26, 28
February: 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25
March: 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30
April: 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29
May: 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27
Please email Kathryn Ann Dougery at Kathryn_Ann@Dougery.com with the dates you are available to help. Please include your telephone number, and your child’s name, grade, and room number!

SCRIP
Scrip Gift Card Program:
Thank you for your positive response to our request to purchase Scrip. Scrip sales have increased during the last three weeks! The last orders of 2009 will be filled on Thursday December 17, but please get your Christmas orders in as soon as possible in early December to avoid any delays or items being out of stock. Click here for the order form.

eScrip
Renew your grocery and debit cards on eScrip. If you have not yet enrolled, registration is free and easy. For more information or to join eScrip: www.escrip.com or 1-800-592-0942. St. Cecilia Parish group ID #136952501.

Lucky S.H.A.R.E.S. Cards
Cards Help our school earn 3% when shopping at Lucky Supermarkets. Simply swipe the S.H.A.R.E.S. card before paying for your groceries (whether you pay by cash, check, credit, debit or gift card). If you do not have a Shares Card, contact Elaine Shanahan who will send one to you via your oldest child. Contact scrip coordinator Elaine Shanahan, 269-5562 or Shanfam@pacbell.net, with questions about any of this. Thanks for your support of our school!

Advent Pancake Breakfast
All St. Cecilia School and Parish families are welcome and encouraged to attend the annual Parish Advent Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Men of St. Cecilia on Sunday, December 13, after the 9:30 Family Mass. This is an annual favorite, a not to be missed event, and we are expecting a special visit from Santa. Dads interested in helping out can contact event co-chairs Emmett Quigley at equigley@mac.com or Barry Naughton at barry.b.naughton@gmail.com. Students looking for service hours are encouraged to sign up.

Altar Serving News
For anyone interested in being trained (or retrained) to serve funerals and/or weddings, there will be a training session on Wednesday, December 9, in the Church from 2:30 to 3:15. Please call Luana Letele at 415-682-3610 if you want to attend or just show up at the Church on that date.

Also, we need servers for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses. This is an opportunity for those of you who need to make up missed Masses. If we do not get enough volunteers, I will need to assign these Masses. Please consider volunteering for one or more!

Midnight Mass - we need 2 more servers

Christmas Day at 7:30 am - we need 4 servers
Christmas Day at 9:30 am - we need 3 more servers

There will be no evening Mass on Christmas Day.

Save the Date
Students who have been trained to serve daily and Sunday Masses during the Fall of 2009 will be commissioned as Altar Servers on Sunday, January 10, 2010, at the 9:30 A.M. Mass. Family, friends and fellow students are encouraged to attend Mass and celebrate St. Cecilia's newest Altar Servers. More news will be sent home the week of December 14.

Fifth grade altar servers will begin there training in the Spring of 2010. You'll be contacted at the end of January. If you are a fifth grader and did not sign up on registration day and you want to be trained, please contact Luana Letele (415-682-3610), and I will put you on the list. Thank you very much!