The Weekly Howl
St. Francis Catholic School - Saturday, December 7th
Dear Parents & Friends of SFCS,
In our 2nd week of Advent to come the students will be shopping at the St. Francis Thrift Shop on Monday. Please make sure they have some money to shop with. It will help the teachers and teacher assistants out greatly if any money is in a sealed envelop with the amount written on the outside and the people to shop for is listed. This is very helpful especially for the little ones.
This week the FSA will be preparing for the Reindeer Run and Winter Festival that will occur at the end of the week on Saturday, December 14th. If you are shopping this week please consider purchasing a two-liter of soda to be donated for the ring toss. They can be dropped off in the conference room anytime this week. Also the FSA is need of cakes for cake walk. If those could be dropped off on Friday that would be very appreciated by the event organizers. Lastly the deadline for Caps for Festival Tickets is Tuesday. More details are below in the Howl and the FSA Newsletter.
Also the deadline to drop any donations off for Operation Morale Support has been extended to Monday. See the FSA Newsletter for more details.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful and blessed Advent so far!
Sincerely in Christ,
Brian Pope
Principal
Week of 12/8 - 12/14/19
- 2nd Sunday of Advent
- Feast of the Immaculate Conception
- 9:00am - 3:00pm: Thrift Stop Christmas Shopping
- 9:45 - 10:45am: 4th Grade - Caroling at Island Care
- 1:30pm: 7th Grade Enlightenment Salon (Cafeteria)
- 3:15pm: Sr./Jr. Girls Basketball Practice
- 4:30pm: Sr./Jr. Boys Basketball Practice
Tuesday, December 10th
- Caps for Christmas Festival Tickets Deadline
- 3:00pm: Bake Club (Group B)
- 3:15pm: Jr. Girls Basketball Practice
- 4:00pm: Sr. Girls Basketball Game at HHCA
- 4:30pm: Jr. Boys Basketball Practice
- 5:00pm: Sr. Boys Basketball Game at HHCA
- 6:00 - 7:30pm: Confirmation 2 - Youth Group (Multipurpose Facility)
- 10:00am: School Mass
- 3:15pm: Sr. Girls Basketball Practice
- 4:30pm: Sr. Boys Basketball Practice
- 6:00 - 8:00pm: Youth Group - Sixth Grade and Confirmation 1 (Multipurpose Facility)
Thursday, December 12th
- Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Thankful Thursday: 5th Grade
- 8:00am: FSA Board Meeting
- 9:15pm: 5th Grade Backpack Buddies
- 3:00pm: Cheer Practice and Game (Meet on Playground)
- 4:15pm: Sr. Girls Basketball Game vs. Cross at Home
- 5:15pm: Sr. Boys Basketball Game vs. Cross at Home
- Saint Lucy
- 9:00am: Sgt. Washington 5th Grade Class
- 2:00pm: Beta Club Committee Meeting
- 3:15pm: Jr. Girls Basketball Practice
- 5:30pm: Jr. Boys Basketball at Bluffton Highschool
- St. John of the Cross
- 8:00am - 12:00pm: FSA Reindeer Run & Christmas Festival
Upcoming Events
12/15: 9:00am - School Family Mass
12/16 - 12/19: Advent Concert Rehearsals
12/18: 3:15 - 4:15pm: Faculty Meeting
12/19: 6:00pm - Advent Concert
12/20: FSA Breakfast with Santa
12/20: Regular Dismissal - Christmas Recess begins after school
1/6: School Open - 1st Day Back in 2020
1/6 - 1/24: MAP Winter testing window
Pre - Kindergarten
Kindergarten
1st Grade
The 1st graders were excited to help the Women of St. Francis and the FSA with completing their Annual No-Sew Blanket Kit Project. The WOSF will be donating the completed blankets to Volunteers in Medicine, and will then distribute them to families in need including cancer patients and The Pregnancy Center of the Low Country, along with Family Promise. In all, the students, (with lots of help from Mrs. MacDonald), completed 4 blankets for the project.
4th Grade
5th Grade
SFCS's Resource Office, Sergeant Washington came to the 5th grade to teach them about drug awareness and other lessons. The program was developed by the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office and the presentation is provide to other 5th grades in our community. The students played drug awareness bingo and did some role-playing of peer pressure situations. The fifth graders also asked Sergeant Washington questions about being a police officer.
7th Grade Social Studies
7th grade participated in a debate of most notable Scientific Revolution discoveries! They developed arguments and rebuttals and maintained a nice, heated, yet civil debate.
Discovery Lab - Kindergarten
This week the Kindergarten extended Mrs. Sweeney's lessons on color mixing with paint and looked at how their eyes blend red, green, and blue light to make all the visible colors. They made tops that we colored with 2 of the primary corners in opposite quadrants of the circle and found that red and blue looked purple, red and yellow looked orange, and blue and yellow looked green when the top was spinning. They also tested the size of a top to see the difference in their spinning. It was easy to see that a small top was both more stable in its spinning and that it also spinned longer.
Discovery Lab - 3rd Grade
They 3rd grade students had fun discovering the science behind snowflake formation. Students had a lot of prior knowledge about snow and it was fun to find out exactly how each flake was made and why each is different. They learned that snowflakes start as a tiny snow crystal as water in the clouds begins to freeze around a particle of pollen or dust. As the crystal begins its journey to the ground more and more water vapor freezes onto the crystal. Because of the behavior of water molecules, these crystals have six sides and each of these sides branches out into a new arm of the crystal. The most amazing thing about them is that it is very improbable that any two are alike because each crystal forms and grows under slightly conditions on its way to Earth! They had fun making our own version of snowflakes and just like the real ones no two are the same!
Faculty
SFCS KOC Tip - Off Classic
Michael P. White
Blessing of the Advent Wreaths
Jessie Tree
A shoot shall come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. Isaiah 11:1
Advent Calendar
Tell Someone You’re Thinking About Them: Send a Candy Cane Gram!!!
The Beta Club is taking orders for Candy Cane Grams! These will be delivered to the teachers to be handed out on Friday, December 20th.
For just $1.00 you can send a holiday greeting to your child or your child can send one to a friend or anyone in the school.
In order to fulfill your order, your order, message, and payment must be received in the office by Friday, December 13th.
Please include the recipient’s first and last name and grade, along with the sender’s name and personal message on the die cut cards provided. Additional cards are available in the office, or feel free to make your own card.
Proceeds from this fundraiser will go towards school service projects and school related activities.
Thank you, and happy holidays!
School Pictures Order Update
Thrift Store Christmas Shopping Permission Slip
FSA Reindeer Run and Winter Festival - They need your help!!!
Hello!
I can’t believe how quickly the time is going! I know everyone’s schedules are full, especially with Christmas right around the corner, but we need your help!
The FSA Reindeer Run and Christmas Festival are in need of both adult and student volunteers. The race begins at 8am on Saturday, December 14th. There are spots to be filled before and after the race. The festival is after the race in the school drop off/pick up loop from 10-12pm with spots to be filled before, during and after. The festival games are a great way to get your middle school student involved and for them to earn service hours.
If you’re available to help, please do so by signing up through the link below or shoot me an email with your availability and I’d be happy to get you signed up.
http://signupgenius.com/go/508054baca72ca1f49-please
Thank you all for your continued help and support!
Megan Drescher
FSA Chair
Winter Festival Needs
FSA Newsletter
Parish Events and Activities
- 7:30 - 1:30pm: Women of St. Francis Cookbook Sale (Church Narthex)
- 10:15 - 12:00pm: RCIA - Interested in becoming Catholic? (Family Center)
- 10:30 - 11:45am: Religious Education - Kindergarten & Communion 1 (PreK & K School Hallway)
- 3:00 - 4:00pm: Divine Mercy Chaplet (Chruch)
- 3:00 - 5:00pm: Religious Education Family Fun Day! - Multipurpose Facility
- 11:00 - 12:00pm: Centering Prayer (Family Center)
- 6:30 - 8:00pm: WOSF General Member Meeting (Family Center)
- 7:00 - 8:00pm: Guadalupe Novena (Church)
- 6:00 - 7:30pm: Confirmation 2 - Youth Group (Multipurpose Building)
- 7:00 - 8:00pm: Guadalupe Novena (Church)
- 7:00 - 8:30am: Advent Penance Service (St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church)
- 6:00 - 8:00pm: Youth Group - Sixth Grade and Confirmation 1 (Multipurpose Room)
- 6:15 - 7:30pm: Religious Education - Communion 2 - Fifth Grade (School)
- 7:00 - 8:00pm: Guadalupe Novena (Church)
- 7:00 - 8:00pm: Guadalupe Novena (Church)
- Angel Tree Gift Deadline
History of Catholic Schools in South Carolina
St. Francis Center on St. Helena Island In Need of Donations
The St. Francis Center on St. Helena Island is seeking the following winter clothes for children:
- Sweaters/Sweatshirts
- Long Sleeve Shirts
- Jeans
- Shoes
Since you have to make room for the new clothes that the children will receive at Christmas time, get a jump start on cleaning out the closets! Sr. Canice and Sr. Marcine will gladly take your donations! Please drop them off at the school’s front office or feel free to make a trip out to the center at 85 Mattis Dr, St Helena Island, SC 29920.
You can also “like” the St. Francis Center on Facebook at
Weekly Howls
- Saturday, November 30th - (Advent info, Advent Activities, Tip-Off Classic, Bottle Cap update, Candy Cane Gram, School Pictures Ordering, Michael P. White, Thrift Store Shopping Permission Slip, FSA Info, Community Info)
- Saturday, November 23rd - (Zoara the Comfort Dog, MS Dance, Ext. Care Projection, Michael P. White Order Form, JPIICS Prin. Meet & Greet, Confirmandi Reminder, eProve Survey, FSA Newsletter, Christmas Festival Tickets, FSA Partners Info, JPIICS News, Community Info)
- Friday, November 17th - (Flu Vaccine Clinic, Updated Uniform Policy, Washington DC, WOSF Cookbook, Spirit Day, JPII Meet & Greet, eProve Parent Survey, Pottery Jam Pictures, Reinder Run Update, FSA Community Service Flyer, Community Info)
- Friday, November 8th - Pottery Jam, WOSF Cookbook, Spirit Day, DC Trip Info, School Pictures, Advent, JPIICS Principal Meet & Greet, eProve Survey)