Rooted in Christ

Prepare the way of the Lord!

The season of Advent is under way! We have a wreath in the entry way of school.  My own children loved lighting the Advent Candles around our wreath at home.  There is so much symbolism in the wreath. It is made of evergreen because these branches are always green, reminding us that the life of grace doesn’t change even with seasons. It is round, like wedding rings, symbolizing the eternal, never-ending love God has for us. The candles are for Christ being the light of the world! There is one for each week, helping us to stay focused.

Often it is hard to slow down during Advent because of all the preparations for the holidays. I hope that you can join us at Mass next week for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Thursday, Dec. 8 (there will not be all school Mass on Dec. 5). The other Mass times for the Holy Day of Obligation are Dec. 7 at 7 or 6:30 am on the 8th.  Advent, in preparation for the Second Coming, is also a good time to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  All eligible students will be going on Dec. 6, but the parish has its service on Dec. 15 at 7 pm in addition to the regular weekly scheduled times.

Finally, before you consider purchasing items for teachers, SHOJ offers the opportunity to support the entire staff with a Christmas fund. The money collected is distributed to staff and usually makes a nice cash gift.  Here is the link for that for parents to contribute before Dec. 11 at midnight:   https://web4u.forms-db.com/view.php?id=1567205

As new family enrollment approaches, we would like to request mentor/host families. 

We need at least 2 families per gender, per grade to serve as potential host families. Host families with multiple kids at SHOJ may sign up to host multiple grades. The welcoming committee will take into consideration the ages of all children when making assignments.

Host family responsibilities:

  • You will receive an email from the welcoming committee introducing you to your new family
  • Touch base with new family via email within 2 weeks of notification
  • Try to arrange a meet-up prior to SHOJ new family welcome night (park, pizza buffet, bonfire, etc.)
  • Attend SHOJ CPS hosted playdates
  • Attend new family welcome night at SHOJ
  • Be a guide, answering questions about SHOJ (uniforms, pick-up/drop-off, etc)

With your help we hope to make new families feel as welcome and at ease as possible when they join our community. Thank you for your support of our school families.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4FABA62DAAF49-shoj3

A picture of St. James winter basketball camp has been posted to the live feed.

Calendar at a glance:

Dec. 5 No Mass

Dec. 6 St. Nicholas Day/ School Reconciliation

Dec. 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception, All School Mass