The Bear Necessities
James L. Collins Catholic School
From the Desk of Mrs. Hoyer
Last week was a busy one with storybook pumpkins, Red Ribbon Week, Grandparents Day, the Book Fair, picture day, and preparation of altares for our annual Dia de los Muertos festivities.
It was fantastic to meet so many of the students' grandparents last week at Grandparents Day! The kids had a good time at Trunk or Treat and playing BINGO as well as other games and hopefully their grandparents did, too! We appreciate all who volunteered and helped make the day a success, especially Megan Martinek who chaired the event.
We began this week in remembrance of all those members of the “great cloud of witnesses” mentioned in the book of Hebrews. Students dressed up as their favorite saints and we prayed a Litany of the Saints on All Saints Day. We also discussed why we learn about the saints - to learn from the example of their lives so we know how to become saints ourselves!
On Tuesday, All Souls Day, we continued by commemorating our loved ones who have passed from this life onto the next. We gathered in the gym where student leaders from 4th through 8th grade led the school in praying a rosary for the souls in purgatory.
Father Juan Carlos and a group of believers on fire with love for our Lord are offering meetings of catechesis on Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm. Everyone aged 13 years and older who is interested in learning more about their faith meets in the St. Anthony's Pavilion. Come and see what you've been missing!
Winners
Thank you so much for your participation in the Storybook Pumpkin Contest this year. First place winners will receive a Free Dress Pass. Second and third place winners will receive a free ice cream pass.
For Pre-K to 1st grade
1st place- Frida Avila- Hungry Caterpillar- Kindergarten
2nd place- Miles Dickerson- Clifford the Big Red Dog- 1st grade
3rd place- Camila Palafox- Unicorn Magic- Kindergarten
For 2nd-3rd Grade
1st place- Lila Steele- Rainbow Fish- 2nd Grade
2nd place- Annie Martinek- Dumbo- 3rd Grade
3rd place- Marcos Aguilar- Solgaleo-3rd Grade
For 4th-5th grade
1st place- Jolie Edgar- Frog and Toad- 4th Grade
2nd place- Sophia Salas- Crenshaw- 4th grade
3rd place- Mae Baldwin- Charlie Brown- 4th Grade
For Middle School
1st place- Juan Mandujano
The hallways look so beautiful with all the decorated altares! Much gratitude goes to all the teachers, especially Mrs. Huerta, for their efforts in celebrating this important opportunity to practice the spiritual work of mercy - praying for the dead.
The first place winners of the altares contest are 1st grade and 8th grade.
The second place winners are kindergarten and 7th grade.
Finally, congratulations to 4th grader Mae Baldwin for winning second place in the Corsicana Pens to Lens competition! She was awarded this special honor during a surprise visit on parent/teacher conferences day.
Cornerstones in Action
- On their school holiday, Jose helped set up the Book Fair and Jimmy, Omar, and Samuel served at a funeral Mass.
- After Mass each week, Claire prays at the feet of Our Mother, Mary and has inspired her peers to do the same through her example of faith.
Congratulations JLCCS Cross Country Team
Our team did an incredible job at the DPL meet this past weekend. The boys team finished 3rd out of 15 teams. Will came in 2nd place. The girls finished 8th out of 13 teams. We are extremely proud of our team during this short season, because of the improvements each individual has made!
PTC Corner
Please join us for the monthly PTC meeting next week at the new day and time - Thursday, November 4th at 3pm in the gym. Don’t wait in the car line...come to the meeting instead! We would love to hear your ideas and suggestions. It’s one of the best ways to be in the know about the latest and greatest happenings here at JLCCS!
Red Ribbon Week
During this annually celebrated week, 8th grade student council members gave a presentation to each class discussing the purpose of Red Ribbon week and why we should stay drug free! Thank you to the Student Council members and their sponsors, Ms. Briggs and Mrs. Whiteside, for all their efforts made for the week.
Club Updates
Sports Club has added track and field in preparation for the Spring season and has been renamed the Athletics Club. More information about changes to this club will be posted next week.
Pokémon Club will meet on the third Monday of the month: 11/15.
Cheer Club will meet again on 11/16 to continue preparing for the Corsicana Christmas Parade on December 4th.
Little Flower Girls will meet twice this month on Wednesdays: 11/10 & 11/17. Their sash ceremony will be on December 16th at the 8:15am school mass.
More Upcoming Events
November 5 - Bogeys & Bears Golf Tournament
November 8 - $2 Free Dress Day to fund for Operation Christmas Child project
November 11 - Veterans Day Program (during mass)
November 12 - Preview Day for new/prospective students
November 19 - Noon dismissal, KONA Ice, Turkey Trot
November 22-26 - Thanksgiving Break
November 30 - Individual picture retakes
December 4 - Corsicana Christmas Parade
December 6 - Rosary in gym @ 8:15am
December 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception (PK-3 Mass @ 8:15; 4-8 Mass @ 12:15)
December 16 - Little Flower Girls Sash Ceremony
December 17 - Noon dismissal, Christmas parties
December 17 - Christmas Program
December 20-January 3 - Christmas Break
Trunk or Treat - Grandparents Day
$2 Free Dress Day
On Monday, November 8th, students who bring $2 may enjoy a free dress day. The proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to purchase items for the grade level Operation Christmas Child box. “...this program is an amazing ministry opportunity for all those involved. Individuals packing shoeboxes have the opportunity to give to those in need and pray for them in hopes that a seed will be planted. Recipients of the shoeboxes not only receive the gifts packed inside, but they have the opportunity to learn about Christ’s love for them through a 12-week discipleship program known as The Greatest Journey.” (Wendy Steele, 2nd grade parent)
Click on this link (https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/) to learn more about this special program. And, if you are looking for a family service opportunity for the holidays, I hope you’ll consider filling a box together. If you’re interested, we have boxes at the school you can pick up to fill and return before the Thanksgiving holiday. They may also be picked up at First Baptist Church in Corsicana.
COVID Update
For those who are interested in their child(ren) receiving the vaccine, below is a link provided by the diocese that you can utilize to make an appointment almost immediately if you are willing to drive to Dallas. They are taking reservations now all across the city of Dallas. If you choose to participate, you are encouraged to submit your child's vaccine information to the school.
https://dallas-county.quickscreen.health/dallas-co#/screening
As of today, we still have had a total of 5 positive cases. There were no new cases reported this week. If your child is a close contact with an affected individual, you will receive a separate email notifying you of isolation/quarantine protocols. For reasons of privacy and confidentiality, we cannot disclose any personal information related to positive cases or close contacts.
Contact Us
Email: info@collinscatholicschool.org
Website: https://www.collinscatholicschool.org/
Location: 3000 W Highway 22 Corsicana, Texas 75110
Phone: 903-872-1751
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesLCollinsCatholicSchool