Family Messenger December 16, 2008

God of Wisdom,
You guide creation with power and love
And you provided Mary and Joseph to care for Jesus.
Make us ready to welcome him and follow him every day.
We ask this through Christ


A Message from the Principal
It is difficult to believe that this is the last Home Messenger of 2008! On behalf of the faculty and staff of Incarnation School, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a faith and family-filled Christmas season. I pray that you have a safe vacation and look forward to seeing you all in 2009!

May you be blessed with the peace and calmness of the season.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 12/18 – Christmas Show 7:00 p.m.
• 12/19 – Noon Dismissal; NO ASP
• 1/5/2009 – Classes resume
• 1/6/2009 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.

St. Columbkille Gift Collection
Please help make a child’s Christmas special by donating a new, wrapped gift to a student at St. Columbkille. Tomorrow is the last day to bring in gifts and we really need your help! Our goal is to collect 257 presents for all students in grades K-8. If you prefer, you many send in a cash donation in an envelope marked with your child’s name and grade, and we will be happy to do the shopping for you. The 7th grade class will lead us in the blessing of the gifts on Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m. Thank you for your support of this service project.

Christmas Program
Our annual Christmas Program will be next Thursday, December 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the church. Classrooms will open at 6:30 p.m. for student drop-off. Following the show, you are invited to the auditorium for refreshments provided by the PTO Board.

Sunday Mass
Incarnation’s Liturgy Committee would like to make it a tradition for families to carry the banners in the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass processions during special seasons like Advent and Lent. A sign up sheet has been left in the church. Please sign up if you are interested.

Epiphany Parties
Parties in celebration of the Epiphany will be held on Tuesday, January 6 at 2:15 p.m. Room parents are advised to keep the parties simple (1 drink and treat per child).

Scrip Tip from Jennifer Bunt
Remember to purchase scrip for all your last minute shopping needs and shopping for the after Christmas sales. We're happy to suggest something for that hard to buy person.

Maybe you'll need some scrip to pick up a quick meal at this busy time. We have many on hand options to help you through.

Don't forget to take advantage of these extra percentages that will expire at the end of this week:
Barnes & Noble 10%, CPK 5%, Gap 11%, Kmart 10%, Shell 2.5%.

Finally, we have Honey Baked Ham, Whole Foods, and Vons to prepare your special Christmas meal.

The scrip table will sell after mass this Sunday, but then we won't be back until the beginning of the year.

Thank you for all your continued support. I plan to have a report for the next General PTO meeting. We're doing really well!

Karate News
Congratulations to Shawn T on earning the rank of Green Belt and to Abegail R, Christina F, Celeste A, Sean H, Andy H, Maria C, and Patrick G on earning the rank of Yellow Belt!

See's Candies for the Holidays
We still have a number of delicious See's Candies assorted Stocking Stuffer boxes for purchase
($5 per box). Please contact Lisa Dumansky at 818-497-4479 to take advantage of this "last chance" See's Candies offer. Thank you to all who have supported this annual Fund Raiser to benefit Inca's Sports Program.

Family Messenger December 9, 2008

Loving Father,
Through the prayers of Mary
May we follow you with a pure heart.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Yesterday, with the help of Ms. Rickert and the fourth grade class, we celebrated the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. People all over the world go to church on this holy day of obligation to worship God for giving us Mary, who was pure, holy, and, and worthy of becoming the mother of Jesus Christ. Mary said “yes” to God, and we were given the gift of Jesus Christ. As we wait for the coming of Jesus this Advent, we open ourselves to new growth in the areas where we may still be lacking. Let us use this time of waiting to reflect on how we can best prepare.

Have a blessed week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 12/10 – Fall Sports Banquet 6:00 p.m.
• 12/14 – 2nd Grade School-Sponsored Mass 9:00 a.m.
• 12/16 – Confessions Grades 3-5
• 12/18 – Christmas Show 7:00 p.m.
• 12/19 – Noon Dismissal; NO ASP
• 1/5/2009 – Classes resume

WASC Surveys
Last week you received a WASC survey for parents. Please take the time to provide thorough responses to the questions provided and return them no later than Friday, December 12. Your input is much appreciated!

St. Columbkille Gift Collection
Please help make a child’s Christmas special by donating a new, wrapped gift to a student at St. Columbkille. Gifts will be collected through December 17 and will be delivered on December 18. Please see your child’s teacher for details. Our goal is to collect 257 presents.

Christmas Program
Our annual Christmas Program will be next Thursday, December 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the church. Join us for an evening of entertainment provided by your children. Listen to traditional Christmas music blended with Christmas songs from around the world. The attire for all grades is “dressy Christmas” in traditional colors: red, green, white, and black. We look forward to sharing the evening with you.

Science Fair
Inca’s Science Fair will be held in March. With the help of our science teacher, Ms. Salazar, students in grades K-4 will work on class projects for the fair with the option of submitting a project individually. Students in grades 5-8 will be required to submit individual projects. A letter will be sent home soon before Christmas vacation with more details about the Science Fair. Over the break, students can begin formulating ideas about what they would like to submit. Ms. Salazar and the Science Fair committee are looking for adults interested in judging the contest. Upon returning from vacation, the Science Fair committee and judges will meet to discuss details. Please email Ms. Salazar if you are interested in judging (incascience@gmail.com).

Scrip Tip from Jennifer Bunt
Today you will be receiving a reporting of your profit contributions. If you have questions, I'm happy to go through it with you. As this is my first year doing this program, I also welcome any suggestions you may have to improve it.

Little elves are busy at work processing your orders as quickly as possible. If you have a "Special Order", send it in right away. We are processing them every few days. Place your "Special Order" scrip on or before December 15th in order to receive it before we break for the holidays.If you want a large amount of any one particular scrip, please be aware that it may have to be ordered. Come in early so that we are sure to get what you need.

Don't forget to take advantage of these extra percentage offers that expire December 12th: Lowe's 5%, Bath and Body Works 18%, Macys 12%, and LL Bean 19%.

Remember to do all of your Christmas gift shopping at the Scrip Desk. We are conveniently located just outside the school office. Short lines, free parking, smiling faces.

November Students of the Month
For the month of November, we emphasized the importance of citizenship. Based on this trait, the following students have been selected as Students of the Month:

Kindergarten: Ethan P and Madison C
First Grade: Mariam E and Reed M
Second Grade: Joshua F and Andrew B
Third Grade: Sean H and Lauren S
Fourth Grade: Marcus C and Alyssa S
Fifth Grade: Andre O and Hannah S
Sixth Grade: Michael M and Emily S
Seventh Grade: Jennifer C and Richard H
Eighth Grade: Juliana D, Lia M, and Joseph V

Congratulations to these students! The focus for the month of December is compassion.


Barnes and Noble Book Fair
On Saturday, students from Incarnation School performed at the Barnes and Noble at the Americana under the direction of Ms. Janis Massey. The Chan family played beautiful Christmas music on the violin, and Mr. and Mrs. Hihn read poetry. It was a nice event organized by our librarian, Mrs. Hihn. Our total sales were approximately $4700; Incarnation will receive 20% profit. Thank you to all who supported this effort!

See's Candies for the Holidays
Are you anxious to finish your Holiday shopping but don't want to fight the crowds at the malls? Do you need last-minute gifts for your mail carrier, your babysitter, your gardener? We still have delicious See's Candies available for purchase – 1 lb. boxes ($15 per box) and assorted Stocking Stuffer boxes ($5 per box). Please contact Lisa Dumansky at 818-497-4479 if you want to purchase See's Candies. Proceeds from this annual Fund Raiser benefit Inca's Sports/P.E. Program

Family Messenger December 4, 2008

God our Father,
We watch for the day when your Son returns,
when he will wipe away all tears,
when evil and death will be no more,
and when the universe will be filled with your presence.
May he come quickly! We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
As Christmas approaches, it is once again time for our annual collection of the gifts for the students at St. Columbkille. With the way dates fall this year, we only have approximately two weeks to collect, and we need your help! Gifts will be delivered December 18. Our goal is to collect 257 gifts to donate to these students.

St. Columbkille has sent us the breakdown of the number of boys and girls in each class. Of course, this breakdown is not the same as ours, so please check with your child’s teacher for details about purchasing a boy’s gift or a girl’s gift. Please wrap a new, unused gift and bring to your child’s homeroom. We have the names of all St. Columbkille students; therefore we will be able to personalize the gifts we collect as they come in. For many of these children, the gift that you donate may be the only gift they receive this Christmas. We want to be sure that no child is left out, so please be generous. Thank you for your support!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 12/4 – Awards Assembly 10:30 a.m.
• 12/5 – Pictures with Santa
• 12/6 – Barnes and Noble Book Fair @ the Americana
• 12/8 – All School Mass
• 12/10 – Fall Sports Banquet

Celebrating Advent
On Sunday, we began the season of Advent. Advent is a time of quiet, joyful preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and also a time to remember that we wait for Christ to come again at the end of time. It is a season to enjoy the hope that Christ’s Resurrection points to. This is a time of anticipation and new beginnings! At home, you can create a mood of anticipation with your family by displaying the empty manger from a Christmas nativity scene; you can also set an advent wreath at home and light it each week as we approach Christmas. May this season of Advent fill your family with joy!

A Message from Father Paul
CHRISTMAS 2008

Dear Friends:

I hope this Advent Season finds you all happy and in the best of health! I have never sent out a Christmas letter before but I thought it would be the easiest way to let you all know what’s going on in my life these days.

As some of you know, I have had several significant health issues over the past couple years and currently am dealing with advanced stages of osteoporosis and hardening of the carotid arteries. I visited Bishop Jerry Wilkerson recently, the bishop of the San Fernando Region, and he urged me to take time away from the parish to work on improving my overall health. Though this is a very difficult decision to make, I know it’s what I need to do for the sake of the parish as well as my own. I’ll be leaving early January and am hoping to be back in six months feeling much better than I do presently. Though I’ll have frequent doctor appointments in the Glendale area, my plan at this time is to spend much of the coming months with family members in Northern California.

On November 21st I began a two year regimen of daily injections of “Forteo” which has successfully restored bone loss in those who have used it. Right now the doctor tells me I am at risk of a spontaneous broken hip simply by stepping off the curb in the wrong way as well as compression fractures in my back. As far as the arteries go, I still don’t know what treatment will be determined.

Father Tim, Father Tom, Msgr. Frilot and Father Pat are overwhelmingly supportive of the need for me to take this time away. I know I can count on your prayerful support as well.

I’ll still be picking up mail at Incarnation when I’m in town.

Let’s continue to pray for each other!

May all of the peace and joy of this Holy Season be yours in abundance!

Love,
Father Paul

WASC Surveys
As part of our school improvement process, parents, staff, and students will be asked to complete surveys. The data gathered from these surveys will be reported in our self-study. Enclosed is a survey for parents. Please take the time to provide thorough responses to the questions provided. We would appreciate having the surveys returned to the office no later than Friday, December 12.

Scrip Tip from Jennifer Bunt
Good news, GAP is extending their 2% extra bonus until December 19th. You'll get 11% on your purchases. These are also good at Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Piperlime (their on-line shoe store). Amazon (special order) is now offering an additional 2% bonus until December 19th. You'll get 6% on your purchases. If you are savvy and like the double dip action, purchase your scrip, sign on to eScrip, click the on-line mall button, and go to Amazon. They'll give you 2.4%, bringing your grand total to 8.4%. Wait...there's more. Amazon offers free shipping on many orders over $25 AND they don't charge tax.

Ms. Carrillo has asked the children to donate gifts to St. Columbkille for Christmas. Why not save yourself some time, earn some contributions to your scrip account, and buy a gift card to KMart.
They're contributing 10% through December 19th.

Psst..I also have wish lists from the teachers of places they enjoy. Great Christmas gift idea.
Free parking. No crowds. With these kind of deals, we can laugh in the face of the recession!

Barnes and Noble Book Fair
Barnes and Noble at the Americana has invited us to come and participate in a Book Fair at their store. The book fair is this Saturday, December 6 beginning at 10:00 a.m. Any purchases made that day—a book, novelty, coffee, or cheesecake—when the Inca voucher is presented will earn 10% for the school. We have elected to accept our 10% profit in cash: 80% will go to the air conditioning fund and 20% will go to the library fund. Please come support your school. Bring your voucher and do some Christmas shopping at Barnes and Noble!

Business Office
Beginning this month all invoices will be sent through the Home Messenger. This will save the school a $0.42 stamp as well as make sure that all families receive their invoices. To ensure privacy, invoices will be sealed in an envelope. Please place your payment in the same envelope and return in the Home Messenger. If you are paying more than one invoice it is ok to pay with one check. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me. Thanks!
--Mrs. Fenton

Library Labeling Party
You are invited to come to the library on Thursday morning, December 4, for a labeling party! The time is 7:45-10:30 a.m. Coffee and cake will be served. I have over 200 new books for the library that need labels, so we can put the books on the shelves for the kids. Bring a coffee cup. Stay for an hour or the whole time. Small children are welcome, as the library will be closed to students until 10:45. Please remember that you must be Virtus trained, and participation hours will be given. Hope to see you there!
--Mrs. Hihn

Coaches Needed – Participation Hours Opportunity
Receive 40 hours automatically…become a coach! We are looking for A and B level basketball coaches for our spring sports season. If you are interested in coaching (boys or girls), Virtus training, fingerprinting, and CYO certification is required. We need you right away in order to have Incarnation teams represented in the CYO! Contact Jimmy Mueckay, PTO Commissioner of Athletics, if you are interested in coaching.