St. Mary's School
Principal's Newsletter 12.10.2019
Lord Jesus, you alone can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. Through baptism, you have claimed us for yourself, but too often we live as if we belong only to ourselves. May this season of Advent remind us that you have blessed us, so that in gratitude, we may live the gospel more faithfully. As we prepare to celebrate the miracle of your Incarnation, may we attend to the needs of our suffering brothers and sisters, the body of Christ in our midst. Amen.
In this Issue
Upcoming Important Dates
Advent Service Project
Christmas Pageants
Snowball Express
Winter Calendar Raffle
Christmas Mass Times
January Lunch Orders
January Before School/After School Calendars
Parent-Teacher Conferences
December Saint of the Month
Upcoming Important Dates
Tuesday, December 10: Advent Reconciliation for Grades 3-8
Tuesday, December 17: Christmas Pageant (Grades 5-8), 7:00 pm in St. Mary's Church
Wednesday, December 18: Winter Calendar Raffle stubs and money due today
Wednesday, December 18: PTO Meeting, 7:30 pm in Parish Center lounge
Thursday, December 19: Before School/After School calendars due today
Friday, December 20: PreK Christmas Pageant, 10:00 am in Lower Church Hall
** December 23 - January 3: NO SCHOOL...Christmas Vacation
Tuesday, December 24: Christmas Eve Mass at St. Mary's Church, 4:00 pm (upstairs and downstairs) and 6:00 pm
Wednesday, December 25: Christmas Day Mass at St. Mary's Church, 8:00 am and 11:00 am
Tuesday, December 31: Lunch orders due
Monday, January 6: School resumes
Advent Service Project
Our Advent service project this year will be collecting items for Bread of Life, a local non-profit with a mission to feed the hungry and to nurture the soul. Donations may be placed under the Christmas tree in the front hall. Please send in donations by Wednesday, December 18.
Here is a list of items we will be collecting:
* canned fruit
* canned soups & stews
* canned fruits & vegetables
* baked beans
* cereal - cold or hot
* juice in plastic containers
* canned meals ready-to-eat
* canned meats
* shelf-stable milk (e.g. Parmalat)
* pasta
* pasta sauce in cans or plastic jars
*potato buds/flakes
*cranberry sauce
*stuffing mix
*toothbrushes
*toothpaste
*can openers
*NEW socks and gloves for men/women
*supermarket gift cards in $10 and $20 denominations
About Bread of Life:
Founded in 1980 and incorporated as a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization in 1992, Bread of Life brings together over 500 volunteers from 45 partner organizations that include congregations from the faith community, businesses, civic organizations, schools, government and social service agencies from Malden, Everett, Medford, Melrose, Wakefield, Reading and Peabody to offer free food to hungry, homeless, and isolated people. BOL distributes the equivalent of 1 million free meals per year. Services provided include evening meals held four nights a week in Malden, food pantries in Malden and Everett, grocery delivery to senior citizens in public housing in Malden, Everett, Melrose and Medford, and food delivery to at-risk teens and homeless families sheltered in local motels.
Grade 8 Christmas Tree Sale
Christmas Pageants
Snowball Express
Winter Calendar Raffle
The Winter Calendar Raffle is our school's sole mandatory fundraiser. The funds raised from this year's raffle will allow us to realize two major objectives in our multi-year plan: the purchase of math curriculum resources and books for K - grade 6 (projected May 2020) and installation of two filtered water bottle filling stations (projected July 2020).
Thank you in advance for your support of the Winter Calendar Raffle and St. Mary's School.
Christmas Mass Times
January Lunch Orders
Lunch orders for the month of January can now be placed online at orsgonline.com. The deadline for submitting the January order is Tuesday, December 31 at 11:59 pm.
- If you already have an account with OrgsOnline, click here.
- To create a new account, click here and use school code 442SMOTASMA when registering.
Who Can Order Lunch?
Students in PKA and PKB may order milk only.
Students in K - Grade 8 may order lunch and milk.
January Before School/After School Calendars
Sign-up forms for the Before School and After School programs for the month of January are now available. Completed forms are due on Thursday, December 19. If you do not have access to a printer, printed copies are available in the main office.
Before School Program Prepay Calendar (due Thursday, December 19)
After School Program Prepay Calendar (due Thursday, December 19)
Parent-Teacher Conferences
December Saint of the Month
Saint Juan Diego was born in Mexico near Mexico City. He was a poor man, but he was able to provide for himself by working in the fields and weaving mats.
On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego was on his way to church when he saw a beautiful woman. She was dressed as an Aztec noblewoman. She called him by name and spoke in his own language. The woman told him she was Mary, Mother of Christ, and that she had a special task for him. He was to tell the bishop that she wanted a shrine to be built in that very spot. She wanted to show her “love, compassion, help, and protection” for all the people.
The bishop asked for a sign from the Lady that she was Mary, the Mother of God. In response to the bishop’s request, the Lady had Juan Diego fill his tilma with roses. Since it was December, it was amazing that these roses were blooming! So Juan Diego presented the roses to the bishop. There, imprinted on the tilma, was a picture of Mary as she had last appeared.
A small chapel was quickly built on the hill where Mary had appeared. The church was dedicated to Mary. Juan Diego lived in a small house nearby for the rest of his life. He cared for the church and those who visited it. He continued to share the story of Mary’s great sign of her love for the people of Mexico and all people.
Contact Us
Email: mr.beza@stmaryschoolmelrose.org
Website: stmaryschoolmelrose.org
Location: 4 Myrtle Street, Melrose, MA, USA
Phone: (781)665-5037
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmaryschoolmelrose/