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December 2015 / Forms and links

Lunch menu

Volunteer survey for 2015-2016

Schoolbelles Winter Uniform Sale

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Teacher emails

Annual calendar 2015-2016

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Scrip order form

Option C (grades)

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Sports forms

Calendar

School website

Advent Season is upon us

The Advent Season is a time of prayer and anticipation during the four weeks leading up to Christmas. The liturgical season begins the new church year on Sunday, November 29. Use this special time to focus on the real meaning of Christmas.

The entire school will assemble in the auditorium on Wednesday, December 2 for our Advent Prayer Circle. Half of the student body will pray at 9:00 a.m. and the other half at 9:45 a.m. Students in 2nd grade will lead the children and teachers in prayer. Parents and friends of our school are invited to come and pray with us.

Family Christmas ornaments

As we prepare for the Advent season, we also prepare our Family Christmas Trees at Sacred Heart School. There will be trees on each floor of the school decorated with one ornament from each school family.

If you are new to SHES or haven't yet sent an ornament to represent your family, please send us one. The ornament can be bought or homemade. Please put your family's name on the ornament, along with the year your child(ren) were first enrolled at Sacred Heart School.

We use the ornaments from year to year to remember all who have been part of the school family over time. The children love to put their family ornament on the tree and proudly show it to their friends.

Veterans Day

Although children have a limited understanding of the meaning of Veterans Day and the assembly we have to honor veterans, they were in awe at the number of adults who attended the event and they take pride in their participation. It is a 'teachable moment' in the lives of children. As they mature, they will remember the experience and come to a deeper understanding of the sacrifice for freedom it represents.

Notes from Father Grecco

Pope Francis has designated the coming year (December 8, 2015- November 20, 2016)  as “The Year of Mercy” . Key to the celebration of this year of jubilee is the recognition that not only has God lavished his people with mercy, but that we need it and should seek it. The primary manner to celebrate God’s mercy, won for us through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, is the sacrament of reconciliation. The coming Advent season will offer us, again, an opportunity to consider the second coming of Christ and our preparation for it. If you have not received the sacrament of reconciliation in a long while, consider this gift from God that you are “putting off” or even refusing.  Your children will be offered the opportunity for the sacrament in the coming weeks. Please consider you own need for it and rejoice in the mercy God offers.

Notes from the Office

Scrip Program

Remember to order scrip for the holidays. For small gifts or entertaining needs, you can earn scrip credit for these holiday purchases. Orders can be placed on December 2nd and December 9th for pick-up before Christmas. There is NO December 16th drop-off. Pick-up is scheduled for December 3, 10 and 17.

Honor Roll Newsletter

Recently you received by email a copy of the Quarterly Sacred Heart Honor Roll Edition of the Newsletter. Sacred Heart respects the privacy of your children and takes care not to post names on the school website. The Honor Roll Edition will be sent to parents and teachers only and will not have a link on the school website. This newsletter contains the Honor Roll for 6th through 8th grades and articles of interest about our students.

Kindergarten and Preschool Registrations Due

Applications are being accepted for the 2016-1017 Kindergarten and Preschool classes.  A registration form must be submitted for these grades.  Forms are available at the school office or on the website. These classes tend to fill up by Christmas so if you have younger children at home, enroll them soon.

Save the date - Kid’s Night Out

Kid’s Night Out (KNO) is an event for Kindergarten through 4th grade where we turn the cafeteria in our own private movie theater! This year’s KNO will be held on Friday, January 8, 2016 for grades K-1 and on Friday, January 15, 2016 for grades 2-4.  Drop off begins at 6:45 p.m. and the movie starts at 7:00 p.m. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase. Sleeping bags, pillow pets and pajamas are welcome!  Movies will be announced at a later date. Keep a look out for registration forms which will be sent home in early January. We hope your child can join us! If you are interested in volunteering or have questions, please email Jennifer McPeak at  jlmcpeak@burnswhite.com.

Second grade Christmas Eve procession

Students in the 2nd grade preparing for reception of First Reconciliation and Communion are invited to participate in the entrance procession of Christmas Eve 4:00 p.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Church. Each child and one parent will carry candles and lead Fr. Steve with the image of the Christ Child to the nativity scene in the Lady Chapel. Participants must RSVP by December 18 to the parish office at sacredheartshadside@comcast.net. Participants must arrive at the church no later than 3:30 p.m. on December 24. Please keep in mind that many people attend this Mass so parking will be difficult if you arrive late.

Desserts from our heart

The Primary grades first service learning project, "Treats From Our Hearts" was so very successful.  The next service learning project was a creation made by Grades 1 through 3. "Desserts from Our Hearts" was a package created with a boxed cake mix, icing and cup cake liners.  The children worked together to create 50 packages which will provide desserts to be distributed at the E.E.C.M.

A sincere, warm thank you to the parents who help foster caring and sharing by the children through our service learning projects.

Sarris online Christmas candy sale

Send Sarris Candy to your friends, family and clients this Holiday Season.

The Christmas sale is an ONLINE sale only. Online orders ship directly to your friends and family and Sacred Heart receives 25% of the profit. So give the gift of Sarris Candy this Holiday Season and help to support our school.  As with our Easter Sale, profits help support many of the PTG sponsored activities held throughout the school year.

Visit www.sarriscandiesfundraising.com  and enter the Sacred Heart Group ID: 10-1411. 

Pease contact Danielle Cessna at mainierodj@hotmail.com for additional information.

“Advent”ure: Journey to the Star

Mark your calendars now for this special day "Advent”ure: Journey to the Star!  On Sunday, December 6, come delight your senses in a day set aside to assist families of Sacred Heart Parish to prepare for the coming of Christ.  The event will be held after all morning Masses in the Auditorium. There will be children and adult activities, enrichments and refreshments provided at no charge! For more information, please contact Sharon Smoller at sacredheartparishreled@gmail.com.

Clearance Information

There are many clearances that all volunteers need to secure in order to be involved with children in any capacity.  These clearances are necesary in order to guarantee the safety of the sacred trust that is ours, OUR CHILDREN. 

The PA State Police Criminal Record, Child Abuse and FBI fingerprint clearances must be renewed every five years. You will be reminded by the office when it is time for you to renew your clearances.

The Diocesan Database Application and the Protecting God's Children class are only required once.  If you have not yet completed either of those, please note instructions below. 

Acquiring the necessary clearances is more user friendly than in previous years. Here are the steps to take:

1. Enroll in Diocesan Safe Environment Database: www.diopitt.org. On the left side of the screen look for Safe Environment Database.  There are 11 screens to complete. The code word for the site is protect. The Criminal Record Clearance will now automatically be processed through this database.

2. PA Child Abuse Clearance: Call the office for a Child Abuse Clearance application.  Once you have completed the form, return it to the office.

3.  Protecting God's Children Workshop:  Visit www.virtus.org.  The Protecting God’s Children class, which was previously onsite for three hours, is now offered online and takes a little over an hour. Once on the website, click the Registration link.  Once you have completed the online class, you will receive a certificate.  A copy of the certificate should then be submitted to the main office.

4. FBI Clearance:  If you have lived in the state of Pennsylvania for ten consecutive years, you may complete a WAIVER for the FBI clearance.  Call the office for a copy of the WAIVER. If you have not lived in the state of PA for ten consecutive years, you will need to have the fingerprinting done.

Sacred Heart Moms

Sacred Heart Moms is a new group forming for all moms of the parish to come together in prayer, worship and social activities.  Moms, take a break from your schedule for one hour to recharge your spirituality! 

The group will gather on the following dates:

December 3 at 8:10 a.m. to pray the rosary in the Lady’s Chapel prior to 8:30 a.m. Mass.

December 17 at 8:10 a.m. to pray the rosary in the Lady’s Chapel prior to 8:30 a.m. Mass.

December 17 from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. for a social gathering at Panera Bread, Bakery Square

More information can be found on the parish website: http://www.sacredheartparishshadyside.org/sacredheartmoms or by contacting Sharon Smoller at sacredheartparishreled@gmail.com.

Bring a friend and join us!

International Connections

On October 15, the International Connections Committee (ICC) hosted an American-style breakfast at Pamela's, a local favorite of Pittsburgh's brunch-loving citizens.  Over fifteen parents gathered for a morning of relaxed conversation, huge portions of crepe pancakes, and bottomless coffee.  Committee members, Kiyoko Exley and Yuka Thomas, spearheaded this delicious event, which supported ICC's mission of fostering fellowship among Sacred Heart's international community--reflecting more than twenty countries represented at Sacred Heart.  The ICC looks forward to hosting more friends as the school year progresses.  Future events will be announced in the newsletter.  All families are welcome.

December food: Rice

In conjunction with Sacred Heart Parish, the school will collect rice to be contributed to the food bank run by the East End Cooperative Ministry.

Each month, the Student Council members encourage all of us to contribute a different featured food to share with our neighbors in need. Thank you for your support.