Lord God, heavenly Father,
We ask you Son to open to us the mysteries of your kingdom, and lead us into heaven where we will see you face to face. Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a blessed and peaceful Christmas and a wonderful New Year. I pray that you and your families have a safe vacation and look forward to seeing you all in 2008! May you be blessed with the peace and calmness of the season!
Sincerely,

Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Jog-A-Thon Winners
Congratulations to the 3rd graders, the class that brought in the greatest amount of money in grades K-5 for the Jog-A-Thon. Congratulations to the 7th graders who were the winners in grades 6-8! Both classes will have a pizza party in the new year.

Thanks also to the students who raised the most sponsorship money.
• Thor H, grade 3
• Phillip R, grade 2
• Celine C, grade 3

Important Notice for Parishioners
Year to date (January through November) contribution statements to each registered school family have been mailed. To be considered a parishioner and receive reduced tuition rate all donations must be received or postmarked by December 31st.
*The minimum contribution (January 1, 2007-December 31, 2007) is $500.00

Christmas Program
Our Christmas Program is this Thursday, 12/20 at 7 p.m. in the church. Students should be in their classrooms by 6:30 p.m. Please join us in the auditorium for refreshments following the show. We look forward to seeing you there!

Volunteers Needed—Earn Participation Hours!
Volunteers are needed to help set-up and clean-up for the Christmas Program on December 20. Set-up will begin at 6 p.m. and clean-up will start at the conclusion of the refreshments in the auditorium. If you are able to help set-up please meet in the auditorium at 6 p.m. on December 20. Feel free to call Maribeth Spensiero at 818-551-1121 with any questions.

Uniform Policy
In January you will receive a copy of the uniform policy with a few updates and clarifications (see Coffee with the Principal notes).

Boys’ A Basketball Tournament
The Boys’ A Basketball Team, under the direction of coach Louie Fuentes, will participate in a CYO sanctioned tournament hosted by St. Jerome School. They will play on January 3rd and 5th. Good Luck Eagles!

Coffee With the Principal Notes
• See’s Fundraiser Update – We have raised close to $2862.00 to be used towards the athletic program
• Math In-Depth Progress
• Two weeks ago teachers received a copy of all math standards for grades K-8 and marked their “essential”/ “power” standards that will help them through the In-Depth Study process. These essential standards are concepts students must have mastered before moving on to the next grade level.
• On Friday, 12/14 at the faculty meeting, teachers reviewed the students’ ITBS scores to look for overall school strengths and areas for improvement, particularly in math. Teachers also looked at individual student scores and longitudinal growth patterns to help them as they plan their instruction. Further examination of the scores will follow in the new year.
• Nestle Partnership – Years ago Nestle Corporation had an emergency bungalow located in the school yard. They are interested in re-forming a partnership with Incarnation regarding Emergency Preparedness. PTO Board Member Phil LeFranc is working closely with them.
• Spring Book Fair – Mrs. Hihn had asked me about the possibility of having another book fair in the spring. Parents in attendance thought it was a good idea.
• Dress Code – Parents voiced their concerns about the inconsistency in the enforcement of the uniform dress code. Girls’ skirts lengths are rising, correct shoes and socks are not being worn, students wearing non-uniform sweaters/jackets, etc.
• The faculty reviewed the dress code/uniform guidelines. Parents will receive an update in January.
• A parent suggested having a mentoring/training program for all new teachers for the 2008-2009 school year for more consistency from grade to grade.

Lunch Yard Duty Volunteers Needed for 12/20!
Each year the faculty and staff have a Secret Santa ornament exchange during lunch from 12:00 – 12:30. In order for us to include all staff, we are in need of parent volunteers for lunch supervision. Please contact Mrs. Reiner if you are available for yard supervision on Thursday, December 20.

Catholic Education Foundation Tuition Assistance
CEF applications for tuition assistance for the 2008-2009 school year are now available in the office. This year all Catholic schools may submit as many applications that qualify!
All applications submitted to CEF MUST meet financial eligibility based on the 2008/09 CEF Income Guidelines. Principals must still verify family income w/ tax returns, W-2s etc. Principals verify and sign the 2nd page of student’s application.
The deadline to submit applications to CEF is Friday, March 14, 2008.

Looking Ahead

2007
• Wednesday, 12/19 – Prayer Service: Blessing of the Gifts for St. Columbkille
• Thursday, 12/20 – Christmas Program: 7:00 p.m. in church
• Friday, 12/21 – Noon dismissal; NO ASP – no supervision after 12:15. Thank you for picking up your child promptly so that the staff can attend the Christmas Lunch.

2008
• Monday, 1/7 – Classes resume
• Tuesday, 1/8 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.; Epiphany Parties 2:15 p.m.
• Wednesday, 1/9 – Coffee with the Principal
• 1/14 – 1/18 – ACRE testing grades 5 and 8

Tomorrow is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On this day in the year 1531, a poor peasant, Saint Juan Diego, was blessed with a vision of Mary. She asked him to tell the bishop of Mexico that she wanted a shrine built in that very place. As a sign, she left an image of herself on Saint Juan’s cloak. The image does not grow old or fade. It is kept in a beautiful shrine in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where it is treated with great love and respect by the Mexican people. Because of this love, Our Lady of Guadalupe became the patroness of Mexico, and Pope John Paul II declared her to be patroness of all America. To celebrate this feast day there will be an all school Mass at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, prepared by the 8th grade and kindergarten classes. Please join us if you are able to do so.

Each student is encouraged to share a gift with a fellow student at our sister school, St. Columbkille. Please wrap a gift and write “boy” or “girl” and the appropriate age on the tag. Gifts will be blessed on Wednesday, 12/19 at 7:50 a.m. and will then be delivered to St. Columbkille. Please make an effort to have your gifts in no later than Tuesday, 12/18. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

May your week be blessed with peace and calmness of the season!

Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Notice for Parishioners
Year to date (January through November) contribution statements to each registered school family were mailed last week. To be considered a parishioner and receive reduced tuition rate all donations must be received or postmarked by December 31st. The minimum contribution (January 1, 2007-December 31, 2007) is $500.00.

Christmas Program Time Change
Since weekday Masses begin at 5:30, the Christmas Program has been moved to 7:00 p.m. to allow enough time between the end of Mass and the beginning of the program. Students should be in their classrooms at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 12/20.
Many thanks to Mrs. Imelda Rodriguez, Mrs. Diana Girskis, Ms. Jennifer Rickert, Mrs. Edilia Cuevas, Mrs. Linda Campo, Mrs. Laura Medina, and Mrs. Anne Marie Smith for all of their hard work in preparing our students for the Christmas Program next week. We are looking forward to a wonderful show as we prepare for the Christmas season!

See’s Candy Sale
Thank you to all families who supporting our optional See’s Candy Fundraiser. Thanks also to Mrs. Dumansky and Mrs. Leon for organizing this sale. We raised $1,849.25 which will be used for our athletic program.

Santa Claus Is Coming to Inca!
Please see the enclosed flyer about Santa’s visit to Incarnation on Thursday, 12/13. Money raised from Santa pictures will be allocated to the computer lab’s budget.

Kids Fitness Challenge
Mark your calendars for the Kids Fitness Challenge which will be held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, January 26. Flyer enclosed.

Scrip
Remember to support Inca during the holiday season by purchasing scrip cards. Visit our website at www.incaglendale.org to view and print a copy of our “On Hand” and “Special Order” scrip order forms.

Congratulations: Rebecca G., grade 6, received third prize in the annual Glendale News Press Holiday Guide. Way to go, Rebecca!

Lunch Yard Duty Volunteers Needed for 12/20!
Please contact Mrs. Reiner if you are available for yard supervision on Thursday, December 20 (12:00 – 12:30)

Looking Ahead
• Tuesday, 12/11 – 7th Grade Parent Meeting 6 p.m. in Math Room
• Wednesday, 12/12 – All School Mass – Wear Dress Uniform
• Thursday, 12/13 – Coffee with the Principal 7:45 a.m./Santa Pictures/Christmas Program Dress Rehearsal
• Friday, 12/14 – Penance: Grades 3-5/Junior High Dance 6-10 p.m.
• Thursday, 12/20 – Christmas Program: 7:00 p.m. in church
• Friday, 12/21 – Noon dismissal; NO ASP – please have your child picked up at noon – no supervision after carpool.
• Monday, 1/7 – Classes resume

Our Monday morning prayer service began with the blessing and lighting of the Advent wreath. Father Paul asked the students to share a few key words on what Advent means. Students responded with the words “preparation” and “hope.” Advent is a wonderful time for turning to God to give thanks for our blessings. It is a time to open ourselves to new growth in the areas where we may still be lacking. With this in mind, let us use this time to reflect on how we can best prepare. As I mentioned last week, how can you make this time of waiting special and meaningful with your family?

Have a blessed week!

Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Picture Make-Ups and 8th Grade ID Cards
On Thursday, 12/6 Bronson Photography will be returning to take make-up pictures only for students who were absent on picture day. The 8th graders will also be photographed for their school IDs (cap and gown pictures will be at a later date). Students should come dressed in Mass uniform.

NED Show Yo-Yo Sales
The school collected $1,600 from yo-yo sales. The money collected from the yo-yo sales helped bring this assembly to Inca free! 10% of the sales will be given back to the school in the form of a gift certificate for the purchase of other NED items.

Got Scrip?
Looking to avoid the crowd at the mall? Do you know someone who is very difficult to shop for? How about staff appreciation gifts in your workplace? Visit our website at www.incaglendale.org to view and print a copy of our “On Hand” and “Special Order” scrip order forms. What a great way to do some of your holiday shopping and help meet your scrip obligation—all while helping our school earn profits!

Jog-A-Thon
We are trying to get a final total for our Jog-A-Thon fundraiser. If you have not already paid for the Jog-A-Thon, please do so as soon as possible. Thank you!

Rainy Day Carpool
Thank you for your cooperation with the trial run of the rainy day carpool last Friday. We are now in the process of evaluating this change. In speaking with the teachers, it seemed to go rather smoothly. I have spoken with some of you individually to receive some of your input. I will bring this up at the PTO Board meeting tonight (meeting for board members only) and at Coffee with the Principal next week. From the weather reports, it looks like we might be expecting more rain towards the end of the week. We will leave the rainy day carpool as it was last week until further notice.

No ASP Friday, December 21
Students will be dismissed at noon on Friday, 12/21. We will not have ASP on that day. Please plan accordingly.

Santa Clarita Ballet Company’s “Nutcracker”
Caitlin C., Inca 8th grader, will be performing in the Santa Clarita Ballet Company's "Nutcracker" shows on December 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th. She is one of the Chinese dancers and dances in the Snow Corps and the Flower Corps in this year's show. This is her second year as a member of the Company which is a semi-professional organization that performs at the Santa Clarita Center for Performing Arts at College of the Canyons. Caitlin has been in dance of all types, but mostly ballet since she was 2, so it is a real achievement to be selected to be a part of this Company. If anyone would like tickets to see the show, please call the box office number at 661-251-6844 for ticket availability. As the saying goes..break a leg, Caitlin!


Looking Ahead
• Wednesday, 12/5 – Fall “A” and “B” Sports Banquet 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, 12/6 – 3rd Grade Retreat
• Thursday, 12/6 – 8th grade pictures for IDs only (wear school uniform); make-up pictures
• Sunday, 12/9 – 2nd Grade School Sponsored Mass
• Wednesday, 12/12 – All School Mass
• Thursday, 12/13 – Coffee with the Principal