Inspired Moments:
Faith: There have been many opportunities for our community to celebrate faith over the past few weeks. The students grade three to eight participated in a reconciliation service in preparation for the Advent season. The priests from our three parishes were joined by Father Dan and Father Dean to hear our student’s confessions. The Mission Effectiveness Committee hosted a Parent Virtue Night that explored guiding your children through the Mass. Our own Deacon and Mrs. McAvoy Jensen presented many ways to connect children with their faith and to prepare them to enter into and appreciate the Mass. The third grade hosted the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the eighth grade hosted the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As all Masses are open to parishioners, we are proud of them for their service to the Church community. They were well-prepared by their teachers to present lovingly for our parishioners.
Family: At St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, we are blessed to have a community of parents willing to support the school in such a variety of ways. The room parents, led by Mrs. Keema and Mrs. Souliere, arranged a sit-down lunch and shopped for gifts for a White Elephant exchange that provided joy and entertainment to all of our staff members. Our CSAC Vice Chair Mrs. Bozarth, assisted by the Lemieux and Tarver families, coordinated our school’s procession for the Elk Grove Parade of Lights. St. Joseph Parish enjoyed a Hospitality Mass this month, where our fifth graders both served as lectors and assisted the first grade with the collection and presentation of the gifts. Warm thanks to Mrs. Gonzalez for planning Cookies with Santa. Our children shopped, decorated cookies, drank hot chocolate, and asked Santa for their Christmas wishes while our parents had a chance to socialize and enjoy the company of friends.
Knowledge: Our students have so many occasions to represent our school and display the knowledge they have acquired and their special aptitudes. Mea and Tiffany, two eighth graders represented us well in the Diocesan Speech Contest. Together they earned the highest placement in school history. You, too, will be able to hear their speeches during the Catholic School Week masses. Anna, one of our fifth-grade students won the school Spelling Bee and will be representing St. Elizabeth Ann Seton at the state level. Beyond academics, our students gain other interesting skills. Some of our seventh-grade students stepped in to assist our fourth graders in Mrs. Boemer’s absence.
Service: Many of our children and families have chosen to support our community in a variety of ways. The Turkey Drive took in enough funds to purchase over 160 turkeys for St. Vincent de Paul. A group of our students fulfilled their service project by raising money to lay wreaths on the headstones of local veterans.
Moments of Grace:
Monday: What do you imagine it will be like when Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled? Isaiah 35:1-3, 6
Tuesday: What signs of God’s light do you notice among us?
Wednesday: Have you experienced joy during Advent? How have you shared that joy with others?
Thursday: Can you imagine mountains being made low and rough places smooth? What do you think Isaiah means by these words?
Friday: What one or two things can you do to prepare your heart to celebrate God coming to us?