Thank you to everyone who helped make Grandparents Day 2021 a wonderful success! It was a special morning for our entire school community to celebrate and honor the special place grandparents have in our lives and hearts. Thank you to the faculty, staff, and parent volunteers for their time and care in preparing for the morning's activities. A special thanks to Jen Larson for chairing the Scholastic Book Fair and Suzanne Jones for chairing the Home and School event. It was heartwarming to see families in our school and watch everyone enjoy the morning's activities and visit with each other. A school is most happy when it is filled with children and their families, thank you to all who were able to attend.

Please join us next Friday morning for a special Veterans Day Mass and Reception beginning at 8:30 a.m. in St. Mary's Church. Our students and faculty have been preparing a special Mass honoring the courage and sacrifice of veterans, and all area veterans are invited to attend. A reception following Mass will be held in St. Mary's Parish Hall. Students who have a family member or friend attending Mass may attend the reception with the veterans and return to class afterwards.

During Mass the soldiers we have been using to remind us to keep our veterans and active military in our thoughts and prayers will be presented. The soldiers and the prayers they represent are part of St. Mary's 30 Days of Prayer for veterans and active military, which started on October 11. This has been a important and powerful addition to St. Mary's morning Prayer and Pledge that takes place as our school day begins, and a beautiful reminder of the love and respect we should all have for those who so bravely protect our country.

If your child was absent when pictures were taken in October and/or if pictures didn't turn out as well as you had hoped, retake day is Monday, November 8 and Tuesday, November 9. Elementary students should still wear a navy or red uniform shirt and Preschool students may wear any outfit for retakes.

Parents may preview pictures that were taken in October at Inter-State.com/order, using the St. Mary's order code 61035VB.

You are invited to enjoy a delicious meal as St. Mary's Parish hosts their annual Turkey Dinner on Sunday, November 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This year the parish is offering Dine In and Drive Thru options, with the meal being served in the Parish Hall and drive thru orders being brought to cars from the north door of the cafeteria. St. Mary's always prepares a delicious meal for dinner guests. Cost is $8 per adult, $4 per for children 12 and under, or $25 for a family of 4 or more.

If you would like to lend a helping hand during meal prep and serving, opportunities for Care and Share hours are available during two shifts on Sunday, November 14. The parish needs your help! Shifts are from 10:30 - Noon and Noon to 1:30 p.m. Please call Frances Wilmes at (417) 439-8944 by Monday, November 8 if you are available to help. Thank you in advance!

Plans are already being made for the St. Mary's Youth Basketball League! The league is open to all 3rd - 5th grade boys and girls who are enrolled at our school. Practices will start in December for most teams, but they may start earlier. Team practices are usually two nights a week. League play will start in January with two games being playing on Saturdays. League play only lasts a few weekends and it is a great experience for our students!

Cost is $25 per student, with the price being waived for families who are current members of the JACS Booster Club. We are in need of coaches who are willing to create a positive experience for our players! Coaches must be VIRTUS trained and these fun-filled hours (either coaching and/or attending games) count towards Care and Share hours. For more information please contact Aubrey Doss at aparrigon@yahoo.com.

November is here and that means the hustle and bustle of the holidays is just around the corner! I have listed all of the activities and programs that are currently planned through Christmas Break to help families be aware of and plan for important school happenings. Please make note of the dates and participate in as many as you are able, we love seeing our families at school!

Monday, November 8 and Tuesday, November 9: Inter-State Retake Pictures

Tuesday, November 9: Rotary Dictionary Presentation to 5th Grade, 9:30 a.m.

Thursday, November 11: Veterans Day

Friday, November 12: Veterans Day Mass and Reception starting at 8:30 a.m.

Friday, November 12: Noon Dismissal, Teacher PD

Saturday, November 13: World Kindness Day

Wednesday, November 17: Preschool's Brown Color Day and Show and Tell

Thursday, November 18: Free Dress Day!

Thursday, November 23: Preschool's Thanksgiving Feast, 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday, November 24 - Sunday, November 28: Thanksgiving Break

Sunday, November 28: First Sunday of Advent

Monday, November 29: Classes Resume

Wednesday, December 1: Charity Dress Day benefitting St. Vincent de Paul

Monday, December 6: Feast Day of St. Nicholas

Monday, December 6: Reconciliation for 3rd-5th Grades, 10:30 a.m.

Tuesday, December 7: First Tuesday at Club 609

Tuesday, December 7: Preschools' Green Color Day and Show and Tell

Wednesday, December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception, School Mass at 8:30 a.m.

Thursday, December 9: Ugly Sweater Day!

Tuesday, December 14: Preschool Christmas Program, 10:00 a.m. in St. Mary's Church

Wednesday, December 15: Kindergarten-5th Grade Christmas Program, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, December 16: Preschool's Polar Express Party, 8:30-10:30 a.m.

Thursday, December 16: Christmas Crazy Sock Day and Free Dress Day!

Friday, December 17: End of 2nd Quarter

Friday, December 17: Noon Dismissal, NO AFTER SCHOOL CARE

Saturday, December 18-Sunday, January 2: Christmas Break

Monday, January 3: Classes Resume