Eternal Trinity,
When you saw that we could bear no fruit because we had cut ourselves off from you who are life,
You came to our rescue with the same love with which you had created us;
You engrafted your divinity into our humanity.
O sweet tender engrafting.
You stooped to join yourself with our brokenness;
Your wisdom with foolishness; Your life with death.
Open your eyes that we may stay awake to your return.
In your grace, make us ready to receive your glory.
Oh come in your fullness that we may be one with your forever in your glory.
-Based on a prayer by St. Catherine of Siena

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

MR. RIDDER’S REMINDERS

Dec 8                2:00 Dismissal
                        Parish Mission – 7:00pm - Come Join Us!
Dec 9                Uganda Dress Down Day
Dec 13              3^rd Grade 6:00 & 4^th  Grade 6:45 Christmas Cantata
Dec 14              June & December Birthdays Only Dress Down Day
                          STUCO Canned Food & Book Drives End
Dec 15              Textbook Loan Forms Due
                          1^st Grade 6:00 & 2^nd Grade 6:45 Christmas Music Program
Dec 19              Kindergarten Christmas Program 6:30
Dec 19 & 20      Pre-S/Pre-K Christmas Program 9:30 & 1:30
Dec 20              K-8^th Christmas Parties 2:15-3:00
Dec 21-Jan 3    Christmas Break – No School

DID YOU KNOW…Mrs. Delaney shared the overall results of the Terra Nova (3rd, 5th and 7th graders)and Explore (8th grade)test scores with the staff recently? The scores indicated that the students at St. Patrick's are considerably higher than the national scores and the Archdiocesan scores. Although, Mr. Ridder and the staff are somewhat pleased, their expectation is to improve upon those scores each and every year.

TEXTBOOK LOAN PROGRAM FOR 2011– Forms for the 2012- 2013 School Year will be sent home today with EVERY CHILD in kindergarten thru 7^th grades.  In order to qualify for this program, parents/guardians must fully complete the Textbook Loan form and return it to the school office by Thursday, December 15, 2011.Textbook Loan is a federally supported program that allows private schools to borrow textbooks from the school districts that the private school resides in.  The finances for this program come from the government, and the public schools work with the private school to coordinate the program.  This program helps to keep tuition costs from down for all students.
PLEASE complete both sides of the form.  The Appendix A form should be completed as follows:

• Fill in the first open blank by printing the child’s name
• The 2^nd blank needs to have the child’s address
• Complete the bottom section beginning with the date and your relationship to the above listed child on the form.

The Appendix D form should be completed as follow:

• 2^nd Blank - You print your name in as the parent
• 4^th Blank(s) – Parent prints and signs with the date
• Check which box matches your relationship with the child
  We appreciate your cooperation and rapid return in this important matter.

UGANDA DRESS DOWN DAY TOMORROW – This is a reminder that  tomorrow is a Uganda T-Shirt Dress Down Day for all.

RECONCILIATION CELEBRATED BY ALL - Congratulations to all of the children in our school who celebrated Reconciliation this past week and especially those that did for the first time last weekend.  Many thanks go out to all of the teachers and catechists, along with the parents for the time that they have spent preparing these children to receive God’s forgiveness.  Thank you also to all of the Home and School and RF Families for providing refreshments for the cookie reception, along with the adults who ushered families to a priest during 1st Reconciliation and those youth and adults who served at the cookie reception.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE UPCOMING CHRISTMAS MUSIC PROGRAMS – The 3rd and 4th Grade performance is scheduled for Tuesday, December 13th.  Third grade will perform at 6:00 with fourth grade following at 6:45.   The 1st and 2nd Grade performance is planned for Thursday, December 15th.  The first grade will begin at 6:00 with the second grade following at 6:45.   Lastly, the kindergarteners are preparing for their music program on Monday, December 19th at 6:30pm. Please have your child in their classroom 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the program. 

ST. PATRICK'S STUDENTS WORK ON STEWARDSHIP DRIVES - The student council (STUCO) is running two drives for causes with huge expectations for St. Patrick's students. Once again, we are caring for the hungry and homeless in our community. Both of the drives listed below are going until December 14th. Remember, we are not asking for you to go out and buy items but rather donate them if you have extra in your possession. Let us all think about those that are less fortunate than ourselves at this time of year when we have so much to share.

Canned Food Drive - One Drive that we are working on is the canned food drive. This drive’s purpose is to help the people starving in our community. So far, our school has 252 canned food items, and we are hoping for 3000. We are collecting cans and the students vote on the person with the best beard by placing the cans below that person’s picture in the front entry of the school. We are calling this “Santa vs. the Elves”. Who has the best beard ~ Mr. Billings, Mr. Maline, Mr. Van Anne, Mr. Ridder, Mr. Slater, Mr. Shanle or Mr. Walsh? All the donated food will go to the Western Douglas County Food Bank which serves the Elkhorn area. Especially needed are fruits, veggies & boxed dinners.  Please no glass jars.

Mr. Billings         232 items
Mr. Maline          81 items
Mr. Ridder          360 items
Mr. Shanle         67 items
Mr. Slater           207 items
Mr. Van Anne     183 items
Mr. Walsh           73 items

Book Drive - The other stewardship drive that we are doing is the book drive. This drive is for the juvenile delinquents of Douglas County. Recent studies have proven that there is a significant relationship between literacy and delinquency. That is why STUCO has chosen to have books donated to this cause. We are accepting new or gently used books 5th to the 12th grade reading level. We also appreciate multi-cultural and multi-lingual books and books for toddlers for their teenage parents to read to them.

FAMILY FOOD NIGHT - Mark your calendars for our next FAMILY FOOD NIGHT at BUFFALO WILD WINGS (144th and Maple location) next Wednesday, December 14th! Anytime after 5 pm, St. Patrick's will receive 10% of all food sales back for our SCRIP program! What a great excuse to not have to cook, enjoy some yummy wings and other food, and socialize with St. Pat's buddies! You will be receiving a "ticket" in your children's backpacks on Thursday...make sure to take one with you for St. Pat's to get credit! Hope to see you there!!

SCRIP - The kids have won a dress down day on Tuesday, December 20th! The November sales goal was $20,000 and we exceeded that by selling almost $27,000 in Scrip gift cards.  Congratulations to Heather Sliva for winning the drawing for a gift card to Fat Brain Toys. A special thank you to all families who participated in the Scrip program during the month of November.  Throughout the holiday season, Scrip orders turned in by Tuesday 8:00 am will be returned on Friday of that same week.  Stop by to shop for in stock gift cards every school day before dismissal and on Tuesday, December 20th from 1:00 pm - 3:15 pm.  Want to send an eGift? You can with ScripNow! eCards and by using PrestoPay for online payment. Visit www.stpatsScrip.org for online ordering instructions.

WELLNESS COMMITTEE HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK: More tips from the article "'Tis the Season for Holiday Eating Strategies." 1) Use a smaller plate, 2) Cover most of your plate with vegetables and salad, 3) Keep your turkey portion to no more than 5-6 1/2 ounces. Turkey is a great lean protein, but don't go overboard, 4) Keep stuffing portions small, and 5) Avoid mashed potatoes if you do not know what is in them; they often have cream, butter and salt lurking within.

PARISH MISSION - I Could Have Done More
This Advent we as a parish, will have the opportunity to go on a mini retreat.  We will have a Parish Mission December 5^th through the 8^th.  Our mission will be lead by Father Robert Gielow, CM.  Fr. Gielow is a nationally known and beloved preacher who has dedicated his priesthood to directing retreats and leading parish missions across the country.  The theme of our mission will be: I Could Have Done More.What is a Mission?
It is a time of special grace when God calls us into deeper relationship with Him, a time for personal growth, a time to listen to God, a time of spiritual refreshment and invigoration.
Who is a Mission For?
The Mission is for all people.  It is for all ages and for any stage of life: married, single, divorced, separated, widowed, everybody.  We particularly invite those who want to know more about the church today and how it can take an active role in the everyday experiences of work, leisure, family and politics.
What Form will the Mission Take?
Each evening (Monday the 5^th through Thursday the 8^th) there will be a special parish mass and homily designed to increase our spirituality.  Each mass will begin at 7:00.  A social will follow to enhance our feeling of parish community.  Fr. Gielow will be available for informal chats and questions and answers.  So that everybody may attend ALL OTHER PARISH FUNCATIONS WILL BE CANCELLED!

ELF HOLIDAY COLLECTION - Thanks to all the families who contributed to this year's H&S ELF Fund!!!! With your generosity, we will spend the morning of Dec.13th gifting our wonderful staff. We will deliver $CRIP certificates with a beverage cart of treats. It is because of your support & participation that H&S is able toaccomplish so much; thanking our staff & wishing them a blessed holiday! Merry Christmas!!- Michelle, Jenn, Shelly & Christina

ST. PATRICK’S ELKHORN CHESS TOURNAMENT – St. Patrick’s is hosting a chess tournament on Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 9:00 am- 1:00 pm.  Please see the attached flyer for more information!

LINK TO CHESS CLUB TOURNAMENT

HEY ST. PATRICK'S FRIENDS - LET’S GO FOR #1! Donate your Hy-Vee Smart points to St. Patrick's. St. Pat's, as of today, is in 2nd place behind Bennington Elementary! Here is how it works:  For every $20 of Procter & Gamble products you purchase at Hy-Vee from October 1, 2011– December 30, 2011 you earn 100 SMART Points to donate to the school of your choice. Get 100 additional points when you purchase two (2) or more Sara Lee Fresh Bakery products in the same transaction as your qualifying $20 Procter & Gamble purchase. Find the promotional code printed on your receipt of purchase, and enter it by clicking on the "Donate Points" button. From there, select the school for which you would like to make a donation. More than 200 schools with the most points will win! Win a $1500 SMART Board™ for your child's school. Just go to: www.hy-veesmartpoints.com to donate your points today!  We have added to the link to the school website!

MICRO SOCCER REGISTRATION OPEN– Registration for micro soccer is now open.  Registration begins now and will run until February 11^th and then late registration goes from February 12^th to March 3^rd.  Registrations will not be accepted after March 3^rd.  Please visit the athletic website for more information on registering!

SPRINGSOCCER REGISTRATION OPENS - Registration is now open for the spring season of CYSL soccer. CYSL soccer is open to all parishioners from 1st grade - 8th grade. You can register online at: http://leagueusa.com/registration/index.jsp?SportsOrganizationId=240. Register today to avoid late registration complications and fees. For questions on CYSL soccer please contact Julie Wigdahl njwig@cox.net. For questions about online registration contact Katie & Brent L'Heureux at lheureux03@yahoo.com.

SPIRIT - WE NEED YOUR HELP!  Items are still being collected for this year's SPIRIT dinner/auction; however, the deadline is quickly approaching. Many wonderful items and packages come from our generous families here at St. Pat's. Please consider donating! If you would like more information on donating an item, please contact Rene Kremer, Auction Chair, at renekremer@cox.net. THANK YOU for your generosity!

SPIRIT - Ever receive a bottle of wine or spirits for a gift and know you'll never drink it? We are taking donations of wine or spirits valued at $20 or more for our Bar of Spirits. Donated items will be placed in gift bags and auctioned off to raise money for St. Patrick's. Donate a bottle you've received or bought to help fill our Bar of Spirits today! Contact Christina Diers at acediers@cox.net for more details.

RAFFLE UPDATE- Looking for a unique gift for that hard-to-buy-for loved one? How about giving the chance to win $10,000! St. Pat’s SPIRITRaffle tickets support a great cause and could be the Christmas gift of a lifetime! Plus, every family that sells their issued tickets by December 7^th will be entered into a drawing to win a great gift certificate! For more information visit: https://stpatrickselkhorn.ejoinme.org/raffle.

Catholics Come Home - Have you drifted away from the Church? Would you like to feel at home in the Catholic Church again? OR Are you a practicing Catholic but would like a refresher on the Catholic Church?
We invite you to consider renewing your relationship with the Catholic Church whether you’ve been away for years or have never really left but desire a better understanding of the Church.  Come to listen and share with others seeking a renewed relationship with the Catholic faith. Please join us for a five-week series on Tuesday evenings at 6:45pm to 8:00pm in the Media Center beginning on January 10.  For more information on this program or to register contact Beth Kathol at bkathol@stpatselkhorn.org or call 289-4289 ext. 1525. Reconnect with your Catholic Faith!

Principal's Notes Deadline:

Please submit all items/information in final form.

Principal's Notes deadline is Tuesday by 8:00am to the school or email to

ridderd@stpatselkhorn.org or kmoritz@stpatselkhorn.org

Archived Principal's Notes